Shelby Marx (Yin) Tori Vega (Yang)
by MacMan3679
Summary: Shelby Marx envied the iCarly gang, they were famous, yet still able to maintain normal lives, so she gave up her career in the ring and came home. Now there's a new girl at HA who looks eerily like the youngest, undefeated champion in CFC history. (Rori - Romance; SUSPENDED Until I finish Chains of the Maelstrom, Part 1.
1. Light Under a Bush

_**Victorious**_ and Shelby Marx created by Dan Schneider.

* * *

Shelby Marx (Yin)/ Tori Vega (Yang)

(Spanish Translation)

ESPN Current Events Desk: Special Report

The camera cuts to two female sportscasters Linda Cohn and Erin Andrews. Both are blonde and gorgeous, with Linda wearing a short-sleeved red blouse, and Erin in more professional attire. As soon as the iconic music ended they both looked up and smiled into the camera.

Linda was the first to speak, while she continued to smile, "Welcome and thank you for tuning in to this ESPN Special News Bulletin, Erin."

"Thank you, Linda," Erin smiled warmly, yet professionally, before turning to the camera, "Shocking events are taking place in the world of woman's mixed-martial arts. Where current undefeated, featherweight, champion, Shelby Marx has just announced her retirement from the world of MMA."

"Yes, the young lady, who was the youngest champion in the history of the sport, sited disillusionment, and loss of appetite for the sport, as reasons for her sudden abandonment of professional fighting. She stated, 'I don't want to be known for hurting people anymore,' has for the past 18 months divested herself of all her endorsement deals, even willing to take a loss and fines. She has only appeared in the mandatory title defenses, where she was able to defeat all of her opponents handily, is set to be formally stripped of her title in two weeks…"

* * *

Tori Vega's bedroom Sherwood, CA – 6 months later

Tori Vega lay in her bed, going over the events of the last week or so. When she retired from mixed-martial arts, as the youngest champion in history, Shelby Marx, born Victoria (Tori) Dawn Vega, was fully prepared to embrace obscurity, and be forgotten. While she was Shelby Marx, Tori moved away from her parents, and older sister, Catrina (Trina), her maternal grandmother from Seattle became her legal guardian - which is where the name Marx came from - and adopted a completely different personality. She forced down the bubbly, vibrant little girl that used to sing with her sister on long car rides. While she was Shelby, the parts of her personality that she brought out, were aspects that showed her as the tougher than nails, even-tempered – unless you insult or hurt her grandma (Carly Shay) – MMA champion. It got so bad that she no longer recognized the woman staring back at her from her mirror.

Hence, when it came close to renewing her contract with CFC she declined, she told them she no longer had the drive to compete. She started declining endorsement deals, and began giving her entourage the boot. She waited long enough to give her manager, trainer, and other employees time to look for work elsewhere. Tori's since of honor refused to allow her to shirk on her responsibilities, so the only fights she accepted were those required to fulfill her current contract; another aspect of honor and pride meant that she never fought at anything less than her best, which is why she was able to retire and still retain her title until it was stripped from her the night she retired.

Her grandmother legally returned guardianship rights to her parents, and moved to Florida. Shelby Marx faded into the mists, and Tori Vega reappeared moving back in with her parents and returning to a real high school, Sherwood High. She kept up with her training, _who needs to diet, when you train as a professional martial artist_ , which even she believes has made her quite attractive. Her martial arts training is one of the few abilities she cherishes, so she trains every day, returning to her roots since it was her father's Filipino Martial Arts training that allowed her to be Shelby Marx

In the six months since leaving the fighting world, she has relished the obfuscation of being Tori Vega. She never had any plans to return to the spotlight until Trina's Big Showcase…

* * *

It all started two weeks ago, when I was doing a science project on mold. I was holding a plastic binder, and making notations regarding the tree of moldy food. "Let's see," I said, moving forward, laying the binder down on my kitchen table, "the bread mold."

"Bread mold," my partner Matt repeated, typing it on his pearpad.

"Furry," I say, and upon closer inspection, added, "mushy," stepping back and quickly wiping my hands off. Matt repeated my words as he added them to our science project database. "Now," I move around closer to him, acting professional, "the fish mold."

"Fish Mold," he repeated.

I lean down and with a grimace knowing what I'd smell, took a big whiff, "stinky," I say, my tone expressing my distaste.

Suddenly, the door opened and, "I AM SO UPSET," came from the door, followed by a slamming door. At the door was my one-year older sister, home from her school Hollywood Arts. Matt and I turned to regard my sister with a mixture of surprise and concern. Dropping her purse and keys onto a living room chair, she marched over in a huff, "You won't believe who I got partnered with for the Big Showcase."

"Who," I asked taking a step forward?

"Andrew Harris, a tenth grader," she answered indignantly.

"What's the Big Showcase," Matt asked?

"It's a performance they put on at her school…" I started explaining.

Trina interrupts me and grabs Matt's hand, "…they invite agents and directors and producers, and other super-powerful people, and it's extremely important, which why I am extremely upset and good-bye," she drags Matt to the door, all the while talking extremely fast, and getting more agitated, so that by the time she shoves him out the door, she is practically roaring.

"Hey, he and I have a science project due tomorrow," I said angrily, "now who's gone help me with my mold bush," I shout?!

Trina had calmed down enough to look apologetic at her behavior, "Well, I need you to help me pick a song for the showcase," she said as we move over to the piano at the bottom of our staircase, "I definitely want to sing." Then slamming her hands down on the keys, she belts out an operatic, where the only thing going for it was that it was loud. "How was that," she asked with a grin?

"Loud," I reply in sarcasm, leaning on the instrument.

"Awesome," she says missing my sarcasm completely.

 **DING, DONG," the bell says**

Sighing in exasperation, Trina says, "He's here," she said while sauntering to the door, I get up to follow, but she turns to me and says, "Stay," holding up a hand, _like I'm a dog._ I must fight my inner Shelby to remember that this is my _beloved_ sister, that I love, and who loves me, so I don't pummel her face. _Vega rule number one, do not use your skills on family._ Reaching the door, she drags it open with a 'come in,' and a roll of her eyes.

An African-American kid with dreadlock down to his chin walks in with his hands in his pockets, and an incredulous expression walks into the living room. He's wearing an untucked, gray-fading-to-purple shirt, a sky-blue hoodie, with black sleeves and purple cuffs with a back pack slung over his left shoulder, dark blue-jeans, and sneakers.

"Tori, that's Andrew," Trina said, making irritated introductions, _yep, that's my sister._

"André," he corrected.

"Hey," I wave with a smile.

He smiles, "You go to Hollywood Arts, too?"

"Oh, no, I'm not a performer," I say quickly, and immediately point my thumb at Trina, "just my sister." Who looked as though I was giving her due.

"Yep," Trina said, "I got the talent and she got the strong teeth," she said, voice dripping to condescension and conceit, while she cupped my jaw.

 _She's my sister, she's my sister, can't knock her teeth out, no matter how much I want to,_ I am thinking as she does this, keeping a tight rein on my temper.

"You know, she's never even had one cavity," Trina confides conspiratorially to André.

"I try not to brag about it," I say acting demure.

André looks beyond my sister and me, and spies our piano, his eye alighting with glee, "Oh, nice piano," quickly moving around us to sit down. He begins playing a short tune, which pleasantly surprises me, and lights the fires of ambition in Trina's eyes.

I step over to sit down next to him, "Oh my God, you're fantastic," I say in astonishment.

Trina however rolls her eyes, "He's okay," continuing her long campaign of refusing to give praise to anyone.

André suddenly starts sniffing the air as if smelling something awful. He picks up my arm and sniffs it. I cringe in embarrassment and unable to hide it, close my eyes in shame say, "Fish mold," with an embarrassed grin, which prompts him to drop my hand in disgust.

 **Tori Vega: 5 DAYS helping Trina and** **Andr** **é** **rehearse. Trina is driving me INSANE.** _ **Tori via TwitFlash – 5 min. ago**_

 _Andr_ _é at TheSlap: I hear ya_

A week later, I find André out on our patio yelling into his cellphone. I like André, we became good friends during the week, bonding by our shared misery, under the tyranny of the primadonna, that is my sister. We were taking a rare break while Trina gargled some 'miracle cure' that she heard about from some friends at her school that was supposed to make you sing better. _If all it took to be able to sing good was some mouthwash, then everybody could sing like a superstar._ I was bringing André a drink of water, when I heard him shouting into his cellphone. "No grandma," he yelled, voice dripping with frustration, "listen there's no way you can drown at my school!" She obviously didn't believe him because he couldn't get a word in edgewise, until his frustration finally built until he pulled his phone away from himself and shouted, "Call you later," and hung up with relief!

I looked at him with raised curious eyebrows, and a wide smirk as I handed him his drink. "Your grandmother's coming to the Big Showcase?"

"Yeah," he said with a smirk, "it'll be the first time she's left the house in six years."

"Six years," I eye him incredulously, and with curiosity?

"She's afraid of everything," he answers with a small smirk, "rabbis, bikinis, umbrellas, breakfast foods…"

I nodded with a smirk, "So, if she saw a rabbi in a bikini eating pancakes…" I quip?

André fires back, "…the woman would lose her mind."

Hearing the Wicked Witch of the Vegas, bellowing from my living room, André and I trudge back in to get back to work. Well, we would've if I didn't see the train wreck of a dress on my sister. _Even Puckett has better fashion sense than my sister._ It looked more like a birthday cake than a dress. It was floor-length, strapless, with white and sky-blue horizontal stripes running from her chest down. I stopped and just stared at Trina, perplexed that she would wear something so ugly.

Trina was doing vocal exercises next to the piano, but stopped when we entered. She saw us eying the dress, but totally misread our expressions. "Do you like it, this is the dress I'm wearing to the showcase," she asked excitedly?

 _If you can't say something nice, say nothing at all_ , the saying goes. André and I shared a look to see if we had anything nice to say. "Let's get back to rehearsal," he said turning away, and heading to the piano. _Thanks, pal_ , I thought sarcastically.

Since I didn't have anything nice to say about my sister's dress, I asked, "Why are you wearing it now, we've still got a week 'til the show." I stopped in front of Trina as I asked.

She reached up to cup my face, "Oh, my baby sister," she said in her most condescending voice, "you have to live the part, to be the part." I narrowed my eyes in annoyance, giving her a warning look. She let go of my chin, not out of fear, but in shame at her behavior. Trina is no slouch at fighting, in fact if she ever competed, she could give me a run for my money, and I was never defeated. My sister never sought fame in the octagon, which makes me admire her, because she's taking a less sure route to achieve glory. My glare however, says, _there are limits to admiration._ Turning to André, "Time to practice, Andrew," she orders.

"It's André," he yells in exasperation.

"Who cares," Trina replies?

"Trina," I yell, "I think he cares, his parents care," I admonish her, then pressing a hand to my own chest "I am sure that his friends care about his name."

"Fine," Trina, "his name is André, can we please practice the song I wrote?"

"You mean the song _I_ wrote," André corrects.

"Nobody cares who wrote the song," Trina snaps. André looks at me in exasperation, I got the distinct impression that if he didn't need this showcase for a grade, he would have washed his hands of my sister. I give him an apologetic look, apologizing for my sister has become my new pastime. He turns back to the piano, slamming his hands down in frustration, he takes a breath before calming down. He begins to play, 'Make It Shine' the song _**he**_ wrote. "And, I'll make it shiiine," my sister's voice screeches out, off key, out of tune, and so out of harmony with the musical prodigy's beautiful music it gave me a headache!

André scrunches his nose, jerking away from the strangled cat that is my sister. He looks at me in pain, "Do you have any aspirin?" I smirk at him and pull a huge bottle of pain relievers and hand him a couple. This is far from the first time both of us have needed them this week.

 **Tori Vega: Ditching school… for the SHOWCASE.**

 _ **Tori via TwitFlash – 30 min. ago**_

My family, my mother, Dr. Holly Vega (nèe Marx), MD, and father, LAPD Detective, David Vega, are sitting to my right side, near the front of the auditorium. All the acts we watched have been awesome. There was a pretty, red haired girl, introduced as Cat Valentine, paired with a blonde, Lindsey Graham, doing a series of skits, ranging from comedy routines, to poignant ballads. Lindsey was a gifted actress, but Cat had a voice that angels envied. The acts ranged from duos and trios and solo acts, with bands, and dance routines thrown in the mix.

One of the weirdest and funniest acts, was the ventriloquist act of Rex and Robbie. Rex was the dummy, Robbie the puppeteer. Robbie played the part of the comedienne that couldn't tell a joke, the nerdy outcast, and Rex was the slick and confident ladies man, who was dismissive of his human partner. The act culminated with them getting into a heated argument on stage, and Robbie throwing the doll, stage left. That wasn't the end of the act, however because not only was Robbie a gifted ventriloquist, he also seemed to be a master at throwing his voice, because Robbie would try to continue his act by playing a harmonica, and the audience would hear Rex heckling Robbie from the left wing. They got so into it that Robbie literally threw his harmonica off stage, presumably at Rex. When Robbie started to walk back to the center of the stage, a huge case came lofting out at Robbie. Apparently, Robbie saw it in time, and with reflexes, and a surprising amount of strength, for his skinny-looking frame, caught the case in midair, by the handle. He looked surprised for a moment looking off stage, to the instrument, then the audience. Robbie set the case on the stage deck, opened it and like a soldier assembling his rifle, put together a saxophone. After, placing the sax over his shoulders, Robbie closed the instrument case, and launch it right back off into the left wing, where it presumably nailed Rex causing him to cry out. Then, Robbie tested the saxophone playing various scales and drills, that highlighted his skill with the instrument, then looking at the audience, he bowed and said, with a grateful smile, "Thank you, you've been a wonderful audience," and began playing a beautiful orchestral instrumental while he danced off stage. I was **amazed** at how talented he was, at not just one thing but at multiple, and his agility and dexterity were on par with, or exceeded some of the best MMA fighters, I had met.

Now, the act on stage was performing a break dance number, to a rap song. I was enjoying myself, music has always been my achilles heel. Mostly pop, rock, and even a little country, if a song inspires me I'll listen to it until I know it by heart, then sing it without a care in the world. The act currently on stage was kickin' it old school, when we suddenly began to hear cries of distress and indignation. They sounded familiar to me, like I had heard those same screams before, they sounded a lot like Trina. I was ready to dismiss that observation when a school official came up the aisle to speak to my parents. "Are you the parents of Trina Vega," he asked?

"Yes, we are," my father responded, some worry creeping into his voice, "what's wrong?"

Instead of answering, "please, come with me, we'll explain when we get backstage," the educator responded.

My parents and I, didn't waste anytime getting backstage. While the urgency of my sister's plight tempered my enthusiasm, I couldn't help but marvel at the sights and sounds that greeted us when we got back there. There was quite a hive of activity taking place back here. There were acts waiting to go on stage, or just coming off it. I saw most of the acts I had seen so far, I even saw Robbie and Rex milling around backstage.

We got to where my sister was, she looked alright with her hair done, and that monstrosity she was wearing. We saw André pacing back and forth, hands in his pockets, looking agitated. There was a lady with a school nurses' uniform standing close to Trina, with a mouth probe, and a penlight considering my sister's mouth. I finally saw what the problems was; something was in her mouth, and it took me a full 30 seconds to realize… it was her tongue. She was chattering a mile a minute, but with swollen appendage, the words were unintelligible. She was, however able to communicate with tone and facial expression.

My mom was in doctor mode, and asked for the nurse's diagnosis, "what have we got, nurse," she said in her best doctor voice?

The nurse turned and in a professional tone replied, "I don't know for certain, doctor Vega, but it appears to be some kind of allergic reaction to something."

"That would only make sense if she came into contact with something unusual," Mom replied, "she didn't eat or drink anything unusual today…"

"Yes, she did," I chime in, "that gargle she's been using, to supposedly help her sing better."

They all looked at me in surprise, "What are you talking about, Victoria," my mother demanded?

Ignoring the use of my full name which I hate, and mom only uses when she wants a straight answer, so I answer, "Trina sent away for this Chinese herb, that's supposed to help you sing like a nightingale. She's been gargling that stuff for a week, now. Could that have cause the swelling?"

My mother was glaring at her oldest daughter now, who cringed a little, "Catrina Danielle Vega, I thought I taught you better than that," our mother's voice snapped like a whiplash. Trina looked up at our parents, our dad shaking his head in disappointment, then dropped her head in disgrace, mom looked over at the school nurse, "my daughter needs a strong antihistamine to bring down the swelling, but she won't be able to perform tonight."

The school officials looked deflated, Lane a light skinned, African-American, kept talking about having to fill the hole that just opened up in the schedule. He mentioned that not only would it mess up the Showcase, but give André, her partner a failing grade which was a big part of his average for the semester. André was depressed, but nodded in acceptance, he sighed, "people are more important than showcases or grades."

My parents were stunned and even Trina managed to look even more ashamed than before. I walked over to give my new friend for a week a hug, which he accepts and returns, but Lane is not finished speaking, "If we could only find someone, who knows the act as well as Trina we could send them on instead," he stated, thinking out loud. Andre's arms suddenly tighten around my waist.

André steps back holding me at arm's length, looking beseechingly into my eyes, then says, "There's her sister."

My eyes go wide, as I begin shaking my head, "No, nononono," I stammer breaking his grip quite easily, "I am not the performer in the family, that's Trina's domain," I exclaim.

André shook his head, "Tori you can sing too," he said in his most convincing, but sincere voice. "I've listened to you sing over the last two weeks, you know the song, the routine, even the choreography," then he leans in dropping his voice to a whisper, "and your voice is better than your sister's, on her best day."

My eyes go even wider at that revelation, _there's no way that's true._ I think about all he has said, and wonder if its true. Then I shake my head, it doesn't matter if it's true or not, there is one huge reason why I can't go on stage tonight. I was Shelby Marx, I was the youngest, undefeated, CFC champion in the history of the sport, there are bound to be cameras out the in the audience ready to beam my likeness all over the internet, these last six months I've been trying to get away from that kind of attention. Going on stage would derail all my progress. "I can't, André," I say my eyes starting to water, "I'm sorry, but I can't do it."

"Why not," he asks in exasperation?!

"There's a reason," I reply in a pleading voice, hoping he'll understand, "I can't tell you what it is, you'll just have to believe me," I shout back, close to tears!

"Creo que deberías hacerlo, niña. _(I think you should do it, baby girl.)_ " came a deep voice from behind. We whip around and see my father standing several feet away.

"¿Papi," I ask in surprise?

"Debes tomar el lugar de tu hermana en la Showcase, _(You should take your sister's place in the Showcase,)_ " David Vega advised his baby girl.

"No, papá. Sabes por qué no puedo salir, _(No, Daddy. You know why I can't go out there,)_ " I shake my head. He walks over me and caresses my cheeks, then leans down to kiss my forehead.

"Sí, entiendo la razón por la que crees que no puedes salir al escenario, mi preciosa hija, _(Yes, I understand the reason why you believe you can't go out on stage, my precious daughter,)_ " he replied looking into my eyes. "Pero, hay dos razones, igual de importantes, por las que deberías ..., _(But, there are two reasons, equally important, why you should...)_ " he added. I looked up curious, "En primer lugar, Vegas nunca dejó que otros pagan por nuestros errores, _(First, Vegas never let others pay for our mistakes,)_ he said, looking back over at Trina, "y, en segundo lugar, usted ha ocultado usted lejos durante demasiado tiempo, Tori, _(and, second, you have hidden yourself away for too long, Tori)_ " he said in a concerned voice. "Has escondido tu luz debajo de un arbusto, y pesó mucho sobre ti, ( _You have hidden your light under a bush, and it has weighed heavy on you,)_ " he said with determined eyes, "my daughters have always been meant to shine, honey," my papa said returning to English, "I believe it is time for you to come out into the light again, Tori."

André remained there for the entire exchange, but I ignored him as I look down and lean my forehead against my father's chest. I began thinking about what daddy said to me, we Vegas have a great sense of honor, that my father has tried to instill in me and my sister. We take pride in our family, and set great store in meeting the world with our heads held high. Its why I got so mad at Carly Shay, over what she was perceived to have said about hurting my grandma. Luckily, we cleared that up before I made her dental bill higher than normal, I shuddered when I remembered that creepy boy, Nevel. Now, with Trina's screw up, the honor of our family was at stake.

If that wasn't enough to get me to do it, what dad said about hiding my light, was the kicker. I had thought I was doing good, transitioning back into Tori Vega, I was enjoying just going to school like a normal kid. Going to class, not having to wake up at four in the morning to begin training for my next bout, before going to a tutoring session so I can get an education. I still train like I'm about to face my next opponent, but now I get up at 5 am, and train after school too. I even had a boyfriend for a couple of months, before I ended it because I felt guilty for not trusting him enough to tell him about my past.

My father has obviously seen my behavior in a different light than I have. In many ways dad knows me, and Trina better than we know ourselves, he trained both of us in our family's martial arts styles, so it was no surprise that he has observed something about me that I didn't realize was happening. He said, I have been hiding my light under a bush, a quote from the Bible, meaning he believes The Lord was calling me to this opportunity. The thing is, I enjoyed helping Trina with the song she was supposed to sing tonight. While sitting in the audience I was wondering if I could do what they were doing, bring joy and happiness, instead of right hooks and roundhouses to entertain people.

That's when I had an epiphany, one that shocked me to my core and I realized what dad meant, it wasn't the fights that I loved about CFC, it was the spotlight that I craved. My eyes suddenly filled with joy, I stepped back and lunged, throwing my arms around my father, and kissing his cheek. I stepped back and whirled around grabbing André's hands, "I'll do it!"


	2. From the Shadows

From the Shadows, I Shine My Light

(Spanish Translation), [Trina swollen tongue translation]

Make It Shine,

 _Written By_

 _Dr. Luke, Michael Corcoran & Dan Schneider_

 _April 13, 2010_

"Here I am/ once again/

Feeling lost/ but now and then/

I breathe it in/ to let it go/

And you don't know/

Where you are now/

Or what it would come to

If only somebody could hear/

When you figure out how/

You're lost in the moment/

You disappear."

Before I knew it, I was standing on the stage, a sparkly, silvery number wrapping itself around my body, in black and white All-Star Converse for dance shoes, of all things. I just began to sing, closing my eyes to block out the audience. My voice started out soft and hesitant, I was afraid to look out and see the faces of the crowd. As soon as, I finished the first sentence of the song, however I started feeling an energy in me, I haven't felt since my first two years on the circuit: exhilaration.

"You don't have to be afraid to put your dream in action/

You're never gonna fade, you'll be the main attraction/

Not a fantasy

Just remember me when it turns out right

Cause you to know that if you live in your imagination

Tomorrow you'll be everybody's fascination

In my victory

Just remember me when I make it shine"

I opened my eyes, and began to move in the dance routine Andre and Trina choreographed over the last two weeks. I had watched as my sister moved through the routine, say what you will about my sister, when it comes to dancing she knows what she's doing. Many of the movements in the dance felt like the movements in martial arts, yet where martial arts compacts the movements, the dance seemed to exaggerate them. We reached the end of the first verse, when the dancers, Andre and Trina had gotten to work with us came out, and began to follow along with the routine. Two of them picked me up by my arms, and took me back to my starting point, when the next verse began, it didn't feel like I was moving at all, it felt like I was being guided. I began to think my papa could be right, maybe the Lord really was leading me to where He wanted.

So, with a renewed since of purpose, I belted out the rest of the song in my most powerful voice;

"Reaching high, feeling low

I'm holding on but letting go

I like to shine, I'll shine for you

And it's time to show the world how

It's a little bit closer, as long as I'm ready to go

All we have is right now

As long as you feel it inside, you know

You don't have to be afraid to put your dream in action

You're never gonna fade, you'll be the main attraction

Not a fantasy

Just remember me when it turns out right

Cause to know that if you live in your imagination

Tomorrow you'll be everybody's fascination

In my victory

Just remember me when I make it shine."

From this point on, I was no longer singing the song, I became merely a conduit for a higher power, gifting this song to the world.

Everyone can tell you how it's all been said and done

That harder times can change your mind

And make you wanna run

But you want it and you need it

Like you need to breathe the air

If they doubt you, just believe it

That's enough to get you there

I realized before the song even ended, that this was going to be my new purpose in life, to inspire people, not through the cheap thrill and downplayed violence of mixed martial arts, but through my voice. I knew that there would be obstacles, and temptations, the Enemy would try to bring me down, and his means would be vast and varied, and even the Lord would send me testers and trials, to help me learn along the way.

You don't have to be afraid to put your dream in action

You're never gonna fade, you'll be the main attraction

Not a fantasy

Just remember me when it turns out right

Cause to know that if you live in your imagination

Tomorrow you'll be everybody's fascination

In my victory

Just remember me when I make it shine!"

When the song came to an end, I was elated, but felt at peace, as if the weight of the world was finally being lift from my shoulders. Then, I couldn't contain my joy, I had to let the world know how I felt so, as the curtain drew to a close, and Andre came rushing over to celebrate, I let out a loud, "WHOA!"

Andre grabbed me off the stage, spun me around in the air, and dropping me to my feet, he hugged me in delight. We hopped, and jumped, and cavorted in one spot, "You were awesome, Tori just awesome, really outstanding."

"I loved it, I absolutely loved it," I screamed, as I hugged him right back, "Oh my God, Lord in Heaven, that felt like so much fun!" By then, my family, and the school officials, even Trina though her tongue was still swollen had reached us. I turned and flung myself into my father's arms, hugging him so tight I feared I was strangling him. He hugged me back just as hard, and I cried into his shoulder as emotions overwhelmed me. "Papá, papá, tenías mucha razón, cuando estaba en ese escenario sentía que estaba brillando tanto, me sentía como uno de los Ángeles de Dios! (Dad, dad, you were so right, when I was up on that stage I felt like I was shining so bright, I felt like one of God's Angels!)"

"That's all I could ever want for either of my angels," he said in English, he turned and pulled Trina and my Mom into our hug, "just find the purpose He intended for you, and hang on to it with both hands." Papi looked back and forward between my sister, mom, and me, making sure we knew that his words were meant for all of us.

Trina, Mom, and me, smiled at our father, then at each other, and she pulled me into a fierce hug, and spoke into my ear, "I'n bloud ub jou, leedle thisthter," [I'm proud of you, little sister] these were the words she tried to say around her tongue. "I lub jou, Tobi." [I love you, Tori.]

"I love you too, big sister," I smile into her neck. Then, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder, I turn and look wide eyed. I recognize the Hollywood Arts principal, Mr. Eikner, from the other previous productions, he is looking at me intensely.

"Do you want to go to school here," he asked?

I widen my eyes, I knew I'd found my calling, but I never thought about changing schools. _God makes the ways straight when He needs something done._ "From this one performance, you think I'm talented enough to join such a prestigious school," I asked incredulously? "There must be an audition process to join, I don't want to take another student's spot unfairly," I question?

The principal nods, and answers, "The audition requires approval of four out of five the judges, Miss Vega, and is conducted the way auditions are normally held in showbiz." Eikner turns and points to Lane, the nurse, and two other school officials, "What do you four say to the younger Miss Vega, joining us at Hollywood Arts in the spring semester?"

"Yes," one school official replies.

"Absolutely," another agrees.

"She would be a genuine asset to the student body," Lane adds his approval.

"She sang beautifully," the nurse nods her approval.

"I concur," Eikner added in a professional, "Miss Vega, would add luster, to Hollywood Arts."

I wanted to jump at this opportunity, to lunge at it, but I hold myself back, and turn and take my sister's hand, "Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, but I need to make absolutely sure this is the right decision." I take my sister's hand and pull her away from everybody, even our parents. I pull her further backstage, turn her around and brace her by the shoulders, I make sure she's looking me in the eyes. "What do _you_ think, Trina," I ask wanting a serious answer?

"Wby ahl jou athking _mbe_ ," she asking really surprised? [Why are you asking _me_?]

"Because, Sister, you mean more to me than fame, or glitz and glamour," I tell her, "I've had my fame in one arena, and now it appears that I may be stepping into yours, and I never wanted that," I say very close to tears. "Trina, you can get on my last **freaking** nerve, faster than any of my toughest opponents, using their most insulting trash talk, and if you had ever decided to step into the ring with me, it's very likely you could have handed me my one and only defeat, and you _know_ that," tears were now starting to leak down my face. "I don't know why you never did…"

"It'th quite simple, Victoria," Trina answered cutting me off, by now the antihistamine shot was taking effect, "because you're my baby sister, and I love you, even more than myself if you can believe it," she quipped. Trina's face took on a deadly serious cast, "since the day you were born, it has been my job to protect you, to look out for you. I never could watch any of your fights live, I always had to wait and view them after I knew you were victorious, and alright. Even then it was all I could do not to punch the screen when you were hit." I was stunned by what she was saying, but Catrina Vega wasn't finished, "Yes, I knew I _could_ possibly win if we ever fought each other seriously, not training spars, but we're both prideful people, and we hold our honor sacred, I know that if we fought it wouldn't end unless one of us seriously **hurt** the other," Trina said with passion, "and I would rather break my _own_ fingers, than hurt my baby sister."

I pulled Trina into a strong hug, "I love you, too," I'm now sobbing, "I'm not accepting the principal's offer unless you're 100% on board with it, Catrina."

Trina returned her hug, tears were falling down her own face, "I am, for once, I get to go to school with my little sister, I've been wanting to do that for a long time."

We stood back smiling at each other, eyes still wet from our tears, "Come on, let's go tell them the good news," I say.

We near the rest of the group, and just as I open my mouth Trina speaks, "I have graciously granted my permission for Tori to get to come to school here at HA," my sister says back in queen bitch mode, "it'll be interesting, to see how she measures up," she tells them giving me the stink eye, and winking slightly.

I maintain a grim smiling expression, "In that case, yes, I would be happy to join the school once the spring semester starts," I give Trina a 'bring it on' look.

"Excellent," Eikner said, taking me by the elbow, "why don't we all head to my office, and handle the paperwork, while the Showcase wraps up," he suggested?

* * *

The beginning of the spring semester, January 8, Hollywood Arts High School… (A/N: All characters are dressed in the same outfits they wore in the show unless otherwise specified by the author.)

 **Tori: First Day at Hollywood Arts… EPIC!**

 _ **Mood: Freaking**_

Just inside the door to the high school for kids who are crazy talented, to the left up a short flight of stairs those crazily talented kids, practiced the talents that got them into this school. I spent most of the morning in an orientation class dedicated to helping me catch up to the rest of the sophomore class. There were loads of prerequisites, I had to have to get under my belt to qualify for some of the sophomore classes I would be taking to just break even with my class' skills. I was assigned a locker in the main hallway, close to the door to the student parking lot.

This morning when my sister and I entered school, she gave me vague directions to the orientation classroom, and then promptly abandoned me to fend for myself. So, much for protecting me, though maybe she treated it like, teaching someone to swim by throwing them into the deep end, and hoping they float. I took lunch in the orientation classroom, and later left to head to my first official HA class, Acting 101, with a Mr. Sikowitz. The hallway was emptying rapidly, the students here were not very friendly, none of them would even stop long enough to give me directions.

I looked around, then spotted a familiar face, Caterina "Cat" Valentine from the Big Showcase before the Christmas break, "Excuse me…"

She had red, wavy hair, but when I flagged her down she interrupted me with, "Oh my God, your Tori, right?"

I smiled, "Uh huh."

"You were so awesome in the Big Showcase," she said in excitement.

"Aw, Thanks," I replied, "I remember you from the Showcase too, you have such a powerful voice."

"Thank you," she said modestly, "My name is Cat."

"Like the animal," I observed.

"What's that supposed to mean," she shouted in outrage!?

"Nothing, I love cats," I say in a placatingly, cautious voice.

Like a switch was flipped, she suddenly smiled, "Me too, they're _so_ cute," then she just walked off, before I could ask directions!

Behind me the door to the student parking area opened, before I knew it a boy ran right into me, knocking me down. I tell you, I've been hit harder in the ring, but that was when somebody was deliberately _trying_ to hit me. I looked up disoriented, and saw Robbie carrying Rex. He looked down and he gasped his mouth agape, his eyes wide as if he'd seen me before. I assumed from the Big Showcase, "Nice going, dummy," an extremely urban accent chimed in, "now another female that won't have nuttin' to do witchu," the voice of Rex seemed to say, "now, that you done knocked her to the ground."

"Rex," Robbie's voice hissed, then setting the doll down on the ground, he bent down and extended his arm, "I'm sorry for knocking you over miss, I was in a hurry and didn't want to be late." I put my hand in his, he pulled me right on up, and for such a skinny, dude, Robbie seemed pretty strong. I weigh a buck-forty-six have since I achieved featherweight division, but he pulled me up like I was light _as_ a feather, he didn't even grunt in the effort, and he looked like he could tip over with a strong gust of wind. I left the ground for a second, not only that, but his grip was tight and strong, too. "My name is Robbie Shapiro, may I have your name," he asked keeping his hand in mine?

"Tori. Tori Vega," I answered giving his hand a quick shake, "new student just out of orientation," I add with a friendly smile. "I remember _you_ from Showcase, your act was hilarious, I haven't laughed so hard in a while."

"Tori? Vega?" Robbie stared intently at me, so intently I was ready to take a step back, "That means Trina Vega is your sister," Robbie seemed to be trying to fit a puzzle together, and was just about to get it, then suddenly he said, "riiight, right. Welcome to Hollywood Arts, Tori, I remember you now." He acted as if he had just solved a great mystery.

"Anyway," I said shrugging it off, "Can you tell me where mister Sikowitz' class is?"

Suddenly, Rex' voice sounded from his position on the floor, "Down the hall, swing a left at the water fountain, second door on your right."

I look around weirded out by the direction of the voice, then grinned at the act, "Thank you," and walk on by him.

Robbie picks up Rex, who in a flirtatious voice says, "Whatever it takes, cupcake."

I whip around with a threatening glare, and Robbie flinches before taking his backpack off. "That's enough out of you today, Rex," Robbie chastises the doll, "I'm sorry about, Rex," Robbie says, while taking his backpack off and stuffing the puppet into the bag, zipping him up. "Rex is my dark half, the me that I would be if I let my yin reign supreme, in psychological terms he's my ID or inner desires." I nod my understanding, though not wholly understanding. "So, since Rex _is_ essentially me," Robbie continues in a rich voice that was his voice, with a tinge Rex, "I'm sorry for the cupcake remark."

I smile, "We're cool," I say, nodding my forgiveness.

Robbie smiles, "Since, I'm headed that way myself, why don't I walk with you, and act as your guide?"

I laugh sardonically, "That would be nice," I answer. We walk quietly for a few paces, "So, what were you doing just now, you weren't on stage, so why carry Rex with you when you're not on stage?"

Robbie grinned, "It's like rehearsal, I carry Rex with me to all of my performing arts classes, and I stay in character while in those classes, except music, I need both hands free when I play," he replied. "For my act to be believable, I have to be able to seamlessly slip in and out of the Rex and Robbie characters, it's like method acting only I'm playing two characters that are two sides of my personality."

I try to follow his explanation, I studied psychology a little with some of my tutors, and a little at Sherwood. "So, if Rex is your ID, then Robbie is your ego, or self, and that means that it was your desire to make a pass at me, which is where 'cupcake' came from." Robbie nodded, "then who was it that knocked me down?"

Robbie rubbed the back of his head, "that was just an accident," he returned uncomfortably, "I'm not in the habit of knocking over hot – I mean pretty girls."

I smirked, "Thank you, for the compliments," he was about to reply, when we reached the classroom.

* * *

Inside were a few people I had met already, including Andre sitting next to Cat, and I few other kids that seemed to sit in the back of the class and just react. Robbie moved to the right side of the classroom to take his seat, while I moved down the middle aisle, and found a seat. I set my stuff down, went to turn around, and bumped head long into a boy with great hair. He was carrying a coffee cup, which spilled all over him, and I gave a whoop of surprise. "oh my gosh," I said, "I'm so sorry," I said apologetically.

"Ah, it's cool," he said, "I'm Beck Oliver.

"Tori Vega. No, it's not; here," and began to try wiping the liquid off his short."

"I think, you're making it worse," he observed shortly.

"No, it's coming out," I replied absently.

Just then the door opened, and a pale, brunette, with blue eyes and blue hair extensions walked in, "dude," she growled, "why're you rubbing my boyfriend?"

"What no, nonono," I say frantically, I am not a boyfriend thief, even if the boy were my type, which he isn't, I don't tread on another girl's domain, "I spilt coffee on him, and trying to clean it off."

"Get away, from him," Jade demanded, giving me a shooing gesture!

"I'm sorry," I apologize again, stepping away from Beck. I walk up to her and extend my hand, "I'm Tori Vega," I introduce myself, "who are you, other than his girlfriend," I say gesturing to the boy I spent coffee on?

"Jade," she tells me, clasping my hand in a tight grip, "Jade West," she tries to tighten her grip even more, but I just smile, my eyes never leaving hers.

"Look, Jade," I begin explaining, "I can understand, what that scene looked like just now," my smile widens, she continues to try squeezing my hand, but it barely even registers, "you come into the classroom, and see some strange girl rubbing your boyfriend in a pretty southerly direction, I might add, like she's making a pass at him." Jade nods as that was exactly what it looked like to her, "well, first I didn't know he was taken, he didn't say anything to me about it, and second even if I _was_ that type of girl to try squatting on another woman's territory, so to speak, I assure you, your boyfriend's not my type."

Jade's eyes went wide, that was obviously the first time a woman said something like that about her boyfriend, "You're not into girls are you," she asked reticently, "I mean, I know I'm hot and all, but I'm totally into guys," she smirked.

I returned her facial expression, "Me too," I answer, "your boyfriend is pretty, and handsome, and all, but" I lean in and whisper, "I like a more, muscularly cut of meat, understand?" I step back, eying her to make sure she understands, "okay?" Jade nodded, and I did too. I look around and head to the seat with my stuff, ironically, it's sitting next Robbie's chair, and I smile at him, idly wondering what kind of muscles he's got under there. From the way he knocked me down, then stood me back up, he obviously had more muscle mass than his frame, and oversized clothes lead you to believe.

Suddenly, an unkempt man burst through the other door in the room yelling, "OH MY GOD, THERE'S A HUGE FIRE!" Some in the back begin to panic.

I heard, "get me outta here, Rob," coming from Robbie's backpack!

"Kidding, kidding," the hobo looking man said, with a shit-eating grin on his mug, "just wanted to get your blood pumping, which I did," he pumped his arms, with a roar of satisfaction. "Okay, let's get started, **rumps** in chairs."

"He's our teacher," I asked incredulously, Robbie just nods?

"First, I'd like to introduce our new student, Tori," he said, gesturing his head in acknowledgement, to which there was a round of applause, "and I'd like to thank her for her generous gift of two dollars, which she handed to me this morning, not necessary, but much appreciated," he said, all this while walking around on the little stage at the front of the room. He headed to the dry-erase board.

"Why did you give him two dollars," Robbie asked?

"I thought he was a vagrant," I whisper back.

Robbie looks at his teacher assessing him, then nods, "I get that," he whispered, "but, remember this is a school for acting, which is a form of deception," he added, "never accept anything from anybody at face value."

"Now, today we're going to continue our study in _group_ improv," the teacher began, then gestured at me, "Tori, I assume you're familiar with improv?"

"No," I reply.

"Okay," he began, "crash course, improv _means_ ," placing his hand heavily in the board, "acting... without a script, which means actors... must make up, their own actions and dialogue, as they perform the scene, understood," I start to ask a question, but he brushes it aside, preferring to demonstrate than explain further? "Jade, _you_ will captain the first group of the day," Jade had started moving before he named her, which means she was always the first one up, "choose your actors!"

Jade walked up to the stage, and sighed, "Cat, Eli, Beck, and Tori." I wasn't expecting to be called up, so it came as quite a surprise, when Jade of all people called upon me. The look on her face said, she hadn't forgotten about that incident with Beck.

"Now, let's give them a place," Sikowitz called.

"Home," Andre called out.

"Home," Sikowitz repeated, going to write it on the board, "and now we need a situation."

"Big news," Robbie yelled.

"Robbie, nobody wants to see big nudes," Sikowitz told him.

"…News," Robbie repeated.

"Ah, well that's different, 'Big News,'

"Robbie's gotta crush onna new girl," they heard Rex yell out. "How's that for news?"

Robbie stomps on his bag, "Trap shut, Rex," he snapped, "or your sleeping next to the fireplace tonight, it's cold these days, Mom might forget your not a log!" I blush bright red, and noticed that he didn't refute the puppet's claims about a crush on me.

Jade smiles disarmingly, as she walks up to me and says, "Why don't you go wait in the hall?"

I return her smile with one of my own, and look her in the eyes, giving her my most dangerous look, "Woman, does it look like I have a sign on my forehead that says, 'stupid'," I ask? "I may be new to this whole acting schtick, but I'm not a moron," I tell her staying put, "now, shut the hell up, and get on with the scene." Jade's jaw dropped open, not many people in this school have ever stood up to her.

"Okay," Sikowitz exclaims, enthusiastically "'Home' and 'Big News'," either ignoring or not caring about the tension transpiring between two of his actresses. Jade and I just stood staring at each other, like two tigresses staking their claim over the best hunting grounds. Sikowitz races to takes a seat and yells, "And Action."

" **Whoa** , did you cut the cheese, Rob," Rex speaks from his backpack home? This cause the two women to laugh breaking the tension. _Thanks, Robbie for helping to make us laugh._

Jade gives herself a shake, and begins speaking, while Cat and Eli kneel, playing the part of the children, "Hey Babe, how was work today," Jade's housewife character asked?

Beck's workingman character steps up, and admits clearly distraught "Um, I got laid off."

Eli's child character replied in a high-pitched voice, "Again?"

The housewife breaks in, "It's okay," she says, "I have great news that's going to cheer up this whole family." The housewife gestures to Tori, "Do you remember when my mother died, well this woman here is an insurance agent?"

"Hey, I'm with the Mutual of Omaha Life Insurance company," Tori playing the life insurance agent, pantomimed giving the housewife something.

The housewife, reads what it says then turns and shows it to her ex-employee husband, "Read what it says, dear," she asks.

"$700,000" Jade's husband looked astonished, "we're set for life," he reaches over and brings his wife (girlfriend) in for a kiss of celebration.

"And CUT" Sikowitz and the Author say for now!


	3. Make Your Choice

**Make Your Choice**

It has been a month since, I began attending classes at Hollywood Arts. Most of my days were filled with performing arts classes and regular classes. Academic classes were just as essential to the HA students as the performing arts. All my academic classes; Math, Science, Social Studies, and Language Arts; were at the acceptable Sophomore level, nobody can ever accuse me of being dumb; most of my performance classes; Acting, Dancing, Drama, Vocals, and Instrumentals; had to be taken with freshmen, the exception was Sikowitz's Acting class, and Dance class. Most of the students in his class rarely participated, preferring to sit along the walls and just shrug or react to whatever our teacher gave us. The only ones that seemed to have any enthusiasm for the class was the six of us: me, Robbie Shapiro and Rex, Andre Harris, Cat Valentine, Jade West, and her boyfriend, Beck Oliver. Of them, only Rex and Robbie, Andre, and to a smaller extent Cat, could be what I call my friends.

Robbie and I had History and Dance together, and he was someone I was growing closer to, although by unspoken agreement we never spoke about Rex's admission of Robbie's feelings for me, which if I understood the Rex and Robbie relationship was a confession of sorts. I just got here and just met him, I don't even understand my own feelings about dating yet, let alone a specific boy I like.

Andre who was in Geometry with me, he and I maintained the friendship that had blossomed while we prepared for the Big Showcase before Christmas.

Jade and Cat were in the same English class as me, and Cat and I maintained a cordial relationship, we bonded over music and girl talk. Cat while smart enough to maintain good grades, had a somewhat childish outlook on life, but she was also perceptive in many surprising ways. Jade, while she had calmed down remained distant to me, we were in the same salsa dance class as Robbie and he alternated between us as partners, and while I wanted to be closer to Jade, I wasn't going to kiss her ass or bend over backwards to do so. I would have been willing to meet her halfway, but she seemed to want to keep me at arm's length. At first, I thought she didn't believe me, when I said that I wasn't interested in Beck as boyfriend material, but when Beck and I were made lab partners in Biology, she didn't seem to have a problem with it when I informed her. I expected her to get all possessive and irritable, well more irritable than usual, but all she said was, "When it gets to the point of the dissections, don't be a girl and let him do all the cutting," she fumed, "you'd better do your fair share of the wet work."

Not until I had to do the 'Bird Scene,' which was a monologue all Hollywood Arts students must pass to qualify for any plays or clubs, did I figure out, why she was keeping me at a distance.

* * *

Bird Scene

That day when me and Trina arrived at school, Trina was being her usual conceited self. She was acting so full of herself that it was all I could do not to slap her. Trina was excited to get to school, because the school was going to post this year's 'Production List,' I was mildly curious myself, to see if there were any that I might make my theatrical debut in. We got inside and saw a long line of students jockeying to read the list. Trina dove through the line, pushing some of them out of the way, I just followed in her wake, until I saw Andre near the front, and took up a place beside him.

Andre shared a smirk with me, at my sister's actions. "Trina acting extra-Trina-ish today," he asked, already knowing the answer?

I laughed, "Yep, with an extra helping of bitchy," I reply, then add, "If I didn't know any better I'd say she's PMSing, but she isn't." Andre chuckled nervously and changed the subject.

"So, are you planning on auditioning for any of the plays, Tor," Andre asked me?

"I don't know, I wanna get my feet wet, but I don't know if I'm ready for action, yet," I tell him.

Andre nods in understanding, lost in thought then his face brightens with an idea, "Say what about the play I've been writing the songs for, Moonlight Magic?"

"Moonlight Magic," I repeat?

Andre nodded, "Yeah, you would be perfect for some of the music I've written for it," he answered, "and it would be perfect as your debut production."

We saw Trina walk past us exclaiming, "I would be perfect for all of them!"

I looked to my sister as she left, then back at my friend, "You really like me for Moonlight Magic, Andre," I asked intently, to which he just nodded? I stood thinking about it as the line moved, and finally reached the head and went through the lists, until I found the play my friend mentioned. I looked at him for reassurance, and he nodded silently, I thought about it some more before, praying to the Lord and putting it on faith. I signed my full name: _Victoria Dawn Vega_.

After doing that, Andre and I went to our lockers to get ready for our first period classes, History for me, Instrumentals 2 for Andre. I looked around and noticed Robbie and Jade laughing together near their lockers, which were right next to each other. I got my books for the class and made my way over to them, since Robbie is in class with me we usually walk there together. Jade noticed my approach first and immediately stopped laughing, but not smiling before turning back to her locker. Robbie noticed me and grinned a welcome at me, which I returned, "Hey, Robbie, Jade, what's so funny?"

"Nothing that would interest you, Vega," Jade replied dismissively.

"How would you know, Jade," I asked with a smirk, "I might surprise you with what I find interesting?"

Robbie opened his mouth to speak, when Jade elbowed him in the ribs, nodding her head behind me, "Hey, Andre," Robbie waved, "you all set for your first ballet class?"

I looked at my macho, African-American, male friend with a raised eye-brow, "Ballet?"

Andre smiled self-consciously, "Yeah, I needed a dance class for the semester and figured ballet would be a good choice."

I was impressed and said so, "not many guys would be secure enough in themselves to take ballet."

"Yeah, well, I wouldn't have minded taking it with at least another guy, but Beck refused," he said eyeing his best friend's girlfriend, who smirked mysteriously, "and Robbie took it last semester, and couldn't take it again."

I looked at Robbie, equally impressed with him, but his face was straight, with a smile that said he knew something I didn't. "That's not the only reason you're taking it, Andre, there were other, more masculine dance classes you could've taken," Robbie reminded him. Jade, it seemed already knew the other reason, and hid a smile behind her hand. Andre chose ballet, over say, salsa dancing, which I'm taking this semester, _with freshmen, and thankfully Robbie and even Jade_.

I looked between two of my best guy friends, as they stared at each other, both were being equally stubborn, "Fine," Andre answered in resignation. "Ballet is a great place to meet girls," Andre confessed, then looking at Robbie pugnaciously, "happy, Robbie?"

"Hey, I'm fine with it," Robbie conceded, then turned to me and Jade, "as women, do you have a problem with Andre taking ballet, to meet girls?"

I shook my head pursing my lips, but Jade spoke before me, "I don't have a problem with it," Jade admitted.

Then I spoke up coming to my friend's aid, "I think it's romantic," I told him, "and I'll give you a little assist for when you do meet the girls in class," I told him, "be honest with them, let them know your ulterior motive for joining the class. It'll be a good icebreaker."

Andre looked at me uncertainly, then glanced at Jade to see that she agreed with a nod, then added, "That didn't sound like bad advice to me, but I'll add that when class is in session, stay focused on the work. She's there to learn, not get hit on, save your flirting for before and after class, get it," Jade asked with a smile?

"Got it," Andre returned with a smile of his own, "Thanks, Jade; thanks Tori," he said, and with that the five-minute bell sounded.

We all went our separate ways, me and Robbie headed to History, which took us back by my locker. "Guess what," I said to him, excitedly clapping my hands, "I'm auditioning for Moonlight Magic," I exclaim in excitement.

Robbie laughed, "That's awesome," he is hugging me one armed, squeezing my shoulder, _it felt nice_ , "I can't wait to hear you sing again, Tori," he added. I felt warmth go through me when he said that, "just remember in the audition, to be confident in your choices, whatever happens." We reached the door to our World History class and separated, to get to our seats.

* * *

At lunch that day, something hilarious happened, I had just gotten to the table after being delayed by Lane Alexander, the Guidance Counselor. He told me it was a Hollywood Arts tradition for students to decorate their lockers. When I got there, Andre had his head in his arms, and the rest of the table was laughing their asses off. I sat down, placing myself between Robbie and Andre, Jade was on the other side of Robbie, and Cat was on the other side of Andre. Jade was leaning her shoulder against Beck, "Hey what's so funny," I asked as I pulled out my good-sized lunch? _The way I work out, I need lots of calories to stay in fighting shape. Trina does the same, and I've noticed Robbie has similar lunches._

At my question, Andre let out a pained groan, "Guys," he asked, "please, please, put me out of my misery," he pleads with them, "please, don't tell her."

"Sorry, pal," Beck said with a smirk, "but, that's what friends are for, to share in your humili… I mean pain," he said his smirk turning into a smile, and a chuckle.

Andre gave him a dirty look, before flopping his forehead down hard on the table, and Beck began, "Remember, how Andre took ballet this semester for dance credit… and to meet girls?" I nodded as I took a swig of juice.

"Well, there seem to be a lot of guys wanting to take up ballet, for all the same reasons as our friend here," Cat continued the story, patting Andre on the arm.

I nodded, figuring Andre's reasons weren't that unique for the teenage boys in this school, "Boys," I said, rolling my eyes, and sharing the same derisive look with Cat and even Jade, " **can be idiots,** " they finish with me.

This is where Robbie broke in, "Well, there appeared to be more boys then usual joining the class this semester," he pauses to look at one of his best friends, and grinned. "So, to deal with the sudden influx of masculine energy," he continued, his grin became vicious, and I took my first bite of pasta, "they decided to place all the boys into the same class, so Andre will now be dancing with a room full of guys."

I nearly choked on my bite, but managed to swallow, before taking another drink of my juice. As soon as my mouth was clear, I let out a high pitched, derisive laugh, kicking my feet against the cement under the table. "Can… can you drop the class," I asked with a chortling voice to my humiliated friend, while placing a hand on his shoulder? I already knew the answer, I had to show my support to my friend, but then I couldn't stop laughing myself.

The others just laughed harder at my question, Andre just shook his head, "If I drop the class I have to take a failing grade." Andre looked pointedly up at Robbie, "thanks to _someone,_ I have to take and keep this stupid class, for the rest of the semester," Andre growled.

"Hey, Andre, ballet class **is** a great place to meet girls," he agreed looking pointedly at Jade. She smiled warmly back at the ventriloquist. Robbie looks back at Andre and I, and the rest of the table, "I met quite a few, when I took ballet _before_ coming to HA," he continued to gaze at Jade, "I still know one, and we're the best of friends," he said turning to look at me and Andre, adjusting his glasses so the light reflection obscured his eyes. I saw Jade put her hand on Robbie's shoulder and squeeze it gently, but he added, turning to look directly at the girl with green hair extensions today, "she **is** my sister from another mister."

Jade smiled gently, "Well, **you're** my brother from another mother, Robert Leonidas Shapiro," she said. That's when I understood something, finally it dawned on me, the reason Jade kept me at a distance and why on the first day she still had the gleam of dislike, even when she knew that I wasn't into Beck. Robbie is her best friend, maybe as close to her _as_ her boyfriend, maybe even a little closer. Jade heard the comment from Rex about liking me and being his best friend, she would know better than me that Rex is a part of Robbie. When Robbie didn't deny Rex's claim of a crush on me, she knew it was Robbie admitting to feelings for me. She never wants to be put in the position of having to choose, between me or Robbie, if he and I tried dating, then broke up.

"That's what me and Jade were laughing about this morning," he informed me, then the rest of the table, "I'm still in touch with the ballet instructor, and she informed me this morning, about the influx of boys into her class, this semester. She's not dumb, so she guessed the _reason_ behind the sudden interest of boys in her class, and she told me of her solution, to weed out those not serious about the class."

Andre looked belligerently at his friend, "You couldn't have given me a heads up there, _buddy_?"

I decided to change the subject, to spare **my** best friend further derision, and to head off a potential fight. "Hey, did you guys have to decorate your locker doors?"

"Oh, yes," Robbie answered, along with the others in the affirmative.

"It's a Hollywood Arts tradition," Beck told her, "since we keep our lockers the entire time we're here, they become like our homes," Beck shrugged.

I nod as I understand, "Would you mind showing me your lockers," I asked, "I want to know what I can and can't do."

Once inside, we went to all the lockers except Cat's, since we didn't have time. After seeing their lockers, it helped me understand my friends a little better. Jade and Robbie's lockers were side-by-side, Jade's was decorated with a bunch of pairs of scissors. "I love the movie, the Scissoring," she said.

Robbie's had all the nipples of his baby bottles, over a motif of the Israeli and American flags, to remind him of his dual citizenship with the U.S. and Israel. There was also a picture of a battle helmet near the top, his mother's family traces their ancestry back to Sparta, which is where his middle name came from.

Andre had a keyboard attached and he played a tune to open his locker. Beck's was the most unusual of my friends, his locker door was transparent, because, "I have nothing to hide."

* * *

After lunch, we were all in Acting class. Cat was up on stage performing a small improv skit, it was nearing the end of class, and our _teacher_ threw a rubber ball right at her. She shrieked and ducked her head, "Sikowitz," Cat screamed, "you threw a ball at me!"

"Yes," he agreed, "but you still shouldn't have been distracted, any good actor could have ignored even that!"

"Yeah," Rex challenged grumbling darkly, "and I'll bet Brandon Lee got really distracted when that live round cut through his heart."

"Rex's right," Robbie piped up, "self-preservation should trump any character, in any role."

Just then, the bell rings signaling the end of class. We all get up and head for the door when my danger sense triggers and I instinctively shift my head to the right, just as Rex's face moves into place, where my head was, less than a second ago. I hear a rubbery 'thwack', I turn to look at Sikowitz' outstretched arm, "What was that for, you lunatic?"

"We needed to have a chat," he told me.

"So, 'Tori, may I speak with you,' wouldn't have worked," I literally growled out? Sikowitz shrugged, without an apology at all?

I picked up the ball, turning to my friends, waving them out, then turning to Robbie and Rex, I rubbed Rex where the ball hit him, "Thanks, Rex, for putting your nose, where it was most wanted." I leaned up and kissed Robbie on the cheek, "do me a favor, don't let Mrs. Ramirez know about this, please," I asked Robbie, who nodded? I deliberately ignored Robbie's blush, but smiled in my mind, he nodded and walked out after Jade and Cat.

"Have fun," Andre said over his shoulder as he walked out.

Beck follows Andre, saying, "Protect your face." I smiled and nodded.

After the door closed I, still carrying the rubber ball, approached my Acting teacher. "What do you want that you need to assault me with a rubber ball to get," I asked in a dangerous voice? One that only Carly Shay has ever heard, after she tackled, or was pushed into my nana.

That tone of voice got his attention. "It has come to my attention that you have signed up for Moonlight Madness, this year," he said to me.

"Yes, Andre thinks, I would be perfect as the leading lady," I replied in a flattered tone of voice.

Sikowitz nodded his head in apparent agreement, "Yes, you would make an excellent lead for the play," he said, "but you are not going to be allowed to audition for the role."

My earlier irritation returned with a hint of affront, "What, why not, you just said I would be wonderful in the leading lady role."

"Because, you have not, successfully passed the Bird Scene," he told me pulling out a pamphlet titled, "Bird Scene," written by, Tristan M, Dalley.

"What," I asked?

"Here at Hollywood Arts, each student is required to pass this scene to be allowed to audition for any school play or club," Mr. Sikowitz answered.

I took the pamphlet, then looked at him and asked for confirmation, "The Bird Scene?"

He returned with a nod, "The Bird Scene."

I nodded and took the pamphlet from my acting teacher. I turned to walk out of the classroom, when I got to the door turned and called, "Oh, Mr. Sikowitz?"

Sikowitz turned, "Yes, Tori?" His rubber ball impacted his crotch, and caused him to double over in pain, holding his jewels.

I turned and walked out, while tossing back over my shoulder, "don't be throwing balls at your students, unless you want the same treatment in return."

* * *

Sikowitz never threw anymore balls at his students, he didn't punish me for assaulting him either, he probably realized he'd be in as much trouble for assaulting his students, but I had more important things to worry about. I had one month to pass the Bird Scene before auditions for Moonlight Magic would end. So, I spent all weekend practicing the seven lines of the Bird Scene, I asked Trina for help but no dice. "I've got better things to do than worry over trifles like that scene," she said. I tried to call on my friends to help me, but another Hollywood Arts tradition, 'nobody was allowed to help anybody with the Bird Scene,' they could be blackballed from clubs and performances if they were seen helping me.

Robbie did say something cryptic, "Remember what I said to you when you signed up for Moonlight Magic," he said to me. I did remember, but shrugged it off, not sure how it would help me learn the scene.

On Monday morning, I was ready to give it a try, I felt ready and motivated. Mr. Sikowitz entered the classroom through the window, he seemed more motivated than usual. Since the ball incident, he seemed to act more like a teacher, and less like a nutcase, he didn't seem to hold any resentment toward me and even added some warmth to his interactions with me. Before he could get started, I stood up with my hand raised, "Tori, are you ready to perform the Bird Scene?"

"Yes, Mr. Sikowitz, I am, more than ready in fact," I walked up on stage.

"Very well, Tori," Sikowitz took a seat in the audience, "and Action."

I started off with gusto, "It was 1934 when my husband left me, alone" I spat. "Living on the prairie was a dreary existence; no telephone, no radio," I said with a catch of desperation in my throat. "Only a large, majestic bird with whom I shared my feelings," I continued with the fires of hope filling my voice. "One day when I was feeling alone I said to him, "Oh, bird. You can fly. You can soar miles from this lonely place, yet you stay... Why?" "And apparently, my question rang true, for that afternoon...my bird left," I exclaimed with a wail, "and so, went my spirit." I bowed my head to signify my completion of the scene. When I looked up everyone was just sitting there, not making a sound, even the shruggers weren't shrugging. I turned to the teacher, and asked, "Well?"

"Well, what," Sikowitz asked?

"Did I pass the Bird Scene," I asked?

"Nope," he replied, "You were close, but you just didn't make it." My face fell, I thought I had done so well on this monologue, I made my way down to my chair next to Robbie, and Sikowitz went on with class as if nothing happened, "Drive by acting exercise," he yelled, "your all angry Englishmen! GO!"

"Argh, I insist yeh tell me oo sat on me crumpet," Robbie growled next to me! I didn't participate in this exercise, I was preoccupied with going over my monologue.

"Me grandmummy, went to the loo, while I snogged the Prime Minister," Jade exclaimed! _Maybe I should use props,_ I mused, _If all they wanted me to do was read it, they wouldn't have made it the test one took to audition for plays and clubs._

"This flock o' whippoorwills is botherin' me trousers," Andre said! _Hmm, maybe a mural with a farmhouse, and a stuffed bird._

Then Cat screamed, "Good Heavens! There's a cockroach in me brassiere!" _I think I'll need to wear my glasses to give myself the look of a lonely woman. I wonder what Robbie will think when he sees me in my glasses? His glasses actually look good on his face._

"God blind me" Rex shouted! I looked, and Rex was sitting right next to me, while Robbie was over next to Jade, I must've been really out of it to have not noticed his departure from beside me. I decided that was enough moping, I'll just do better next time.

"Bollocks," I shout playing off Rex, "you've driven me barmy," I smile, _I wish, Robbie could help me with the scene,_ he obviously passed if he not only performs, but is a member of the Slap as a theatrical critic. He doesn't pull any punches, but he's extremely fair, if the performance is good he'll say so, and nobody intimidates him. My own sister tried last semester, Trina tried to beat him up and make him give her a good review. She even tried to use our martial arts on him, but none of her techniques worked. He dodged and evaded all of them, according to her, but given what I saw at the Showcase when he caught that saxophone case, by the handle, in midair makes me wonder if he's ever had martial arts training. _Robbie likes me right, maybe he'll help me,_ I mused, _guys usually help the girls their crushing on, right?_ I shook my head, that would be manipulative of his feelings, I'd save it for when I get desperate and I wasn't there, yet.

"Oo put the plum sauce on me bangers" Beck demanded?!

Class ended, and we walked out, going passed my locker. It was here that I had taken the first stab at decorating my locker, I put a dry erase board on the door with markers, on the board was my name in black letters. " **TORI'S LOCKER.** " The others headed to other classes, while Robbie, Jade, and me, headed for our dance class together, salsa dancing. When we walked by my locker they both looked at it, then me, and shook their heads. "Is that how you chose to decorate your locker," Robbie asked, while Jade stepped over to it?

"Yeah," I said smiling, confident in my choice, "This way someone could leave me messages."

Robbie raised an eyebrow, _a cute eyebrow_ , and asked, "And, you don't see anything wrong with that?"

"What do you mean," I asked, "what could be wrong with that?"

"Because," Jade said, "teenagers can be cruel and vindictive," she was standing with her back to my locker, right in front of the board. When I turned to look in her direction, she walked over to Robbie, took his arm in hers, and they walked over to their own lockers. When she moved, and the board came into view, I saw that she had written something between the word 'Tori's' and the word 'Locker', it now read, " **TORI'S** _STUPID_ **LOCKER.** " _Bloody Hell!_

* * *

My second attempt took place the very next week, and I significantly upped my game. I was wearing my glasses, _which Robbie took as a pleasant surprise, he said they looked good on my face,_ and bought a stuffed parrot that I velcroed to a perch. It was during class when I stood up and nodded, and Sikowitz got the class in order. I stood up and made it to the platform. "Tori, the stage is yours," he told me, "though you can't take it with you," he added quickly, as if somebody had tried that once.

"Thanks, Sikowitz, but first," I pulled out two coconuts, "these are for you."

"What is it with Sikowitz and coconuts," I heard Robbie whisper?

"They give him visions," Jade tells her best friend, leaning forward on the back of his chair, "or so he says." Robbie shakes his head in disbelief.

I adjusted my glasses, and looked out at my audience, all of them were looking at me expectantly. The stuffed parrot was on its perch, so I began, "It was 1934 when my husband left me, alone," I spat. "Living on the prairie was a dreary existence; no telephone, no radio," I said with a catch of desperation in my throat. "Only a large, majestic bird with whom I shared my feelings," I continued with the fires of hope filling my voice. "One day when I was feeling alone I said to him, "Oh, bird. You can fly. You can soar miles from this lonely place, yet you stay... Why?"

"And apparently, my question rang true, for that afternoon...my bird left," I exclaimed with a wail, and pulled the stuffed animal from the perch and threw it out the window, then I finished the monologue with a passionate, "and so, went my spirit." I bowed my head again to signify my completion of the scene. The class was silent, not making a peep, their faces were neutral though, not disapproving. "What did you think?"

"What exactly are you asking," he asked?

"I'm asking if I passed the Bird Scene," I shouted in exasperation.

"No, no, you didn't pass," he answered, "now let's move along."

* * *

The next day, I came to school, and saw Cat alone by the main stairway. I walked up to her, and called, "Cat!"

"Hey, Tori," she called back!

"You have to try something," I say pulling out a set of my dad's handcuffs. **_What,_** _I was getting desperate?_

"Handcuffs," she asked?

"Uh huh," I said vaguely, "put 'em on," I quickly lock them on her wrist. "Good," I continued, "now we lock the other end here…" I take the other end and lock it to the railing!

"Fun," she exclaims, giggling!

"'Kay, now try this," I give her what could appear to be a piece of candy.

Cat eats it, "Mmm, I love this type of candy."

My eyes grow wide, "candy," I look down at the package, the package reads 'Choo-Choo Peppers' with a guy on the package holding his throat and flame coming out of his mouth. The implication that this was not a package of candy, but spicy peppers. "You like these Cat," I sounded impressed, and was?

"Oh yeah, my brother gets this kind of candy for me all the time," Cat confirms. "It's healthier for you, and less fattening than other types of candy."

"Oh, fine," I say giving her some water and uncuffing her. Cat immediately chugs the water, then dashes to the water fountain. I watch with my mouth open.

She turns to me grinning, "That was me acting," she said as she started laughing. "Actors have to be able to eat foods, they normally wouldn't touch, how else would frozen cuisine get sold?"

I looked down, "I'm sorry," but she hugged me.

"It's okay, Tori," she said stepping back, "we've all been in your shoes," she smiled, "but I'm surprised you didn't try to get Robbie to tell you," Cat looked bewildered.

My head came up and I looked around, "I thought about it, but Robbie has real feelings for me," I told her in a whisper, "and while there are some women who wouldn't think twice about using his feelings against him, in my book that's not only wrong, but underhanded and manipulative."

Cat suddenly grinned, then stepped forward, and lowered her voice, "Do you have feelings for _him_?"

Not only did I look around, I literally walked around her, looking in every direction, I returned to my original position, "I don't know yet, I do think highly of him, I find myself wondering how he'd like me in different outfits, and what not." Cat's eyes lit up, "but I'm still new here, and I've only ever had one serious boyfriend, who I broke-up with," I confided in her, "and if I were to flirt with Robbie like that, just for the Bird Scene, I wouldn't be worthy of being his friend, let alone girlfriend."

Cat's eyes were shining when I said that, "then, if you do realize you have feelings for him enough to tell him, you'll have my support."

"Thanks," I said gratefully, "but it's not your support I'm going to need, but his _sister from another mister's_ ," she looked confused, so I finished, "Jade." At the name, Cat's eyes widened in surprise, then understanding dawned, Jade and Robbie, Cat later confided in me were best friends from middle school. When Jade's family fell apart, the only stability in her life was Robbie and his family, so she clung to him, and his mother and father. They helped Jade cling to some semblance of sanity, and for that Jade and Robbie were closer than just best friends. To them the jokes about being brother and sister, were anything but.

Cat put her arm around me, "come on," she said, "let's get to class, you can practice fluttering your eyelashes at him."

I smiled, then scowled, "I **do** not flutter my eyelashes at him," I said impatiently.

She smiled back, "sure, you don't," Cat responded, "keep telling yourself that."

* * *

The third and last time, I attempted the Bird Scene, I decided to go all out, I used a little bit of the Shelby Marx money to buy and train a cockatoo, and had a backdrop painted with a farmhouse in the background. The day I was to perform the Bird Scene, I skipped lunch and headed to class early to set up, I pulled the curtain and got to work. I heard the class entering the room, chattering about this and that, until Sikowitz entered, "Oo this looks interesting," I heard him say.

Sticking my head through the curtain I smiled, Robbie seemed to brighten significantly when he saw me, because he was sitting in our usual seat, but smiled **big** when he saw me. "Be right with you, Mr. Sikowitz," I smiled sweetly, "if this doesn't get me a pass, nothing short of a Hollywood production will do it, but first," I ducked my head back behind the curtain, then emerged with two fresh coconuts already prepared, "here you go."

"Wonderful," Sikowitz exclaimed, "their milk gives me visions." Robbie and Jade smirked at each other.

"So, I've heard," I mention and quickly duck behind the curtain."

"Ladies and gentlemen," he announces, the consummate showman, "once again, the Bird Scene, starring Tori…"

I popped my head back through the curtain, "Vega."

"…Vega," he finishes!

The curtain opens, and there I stand in front of the mural, in my glasses and a dress, my abuelita Vega wore when she was alive. In a thick rural accent, I began, "It was 1934 and my husband left me, alone. Living on the prairie was a dreary existence. No telephone, no radio. Only a large majestic bird with whom I shared my feelings." I give a whistle, and my cockatoo flies in through the window, landing on my shoulder. _I donated him to a zoo after I was finished with the scene._

Sikowitz leaned over and whispered into Beck's ear, as Beck would tell me later, "Do you see the bird too?"

"Yeah," Beck answered.

"Fantastic," our acting role model replied like he expected it.

"One day when I was feeling low, I said to him, 'Oh bird, you can fly. You can fly miles from this place, yet you stay. Why?'" I shake my head and he takes-off out of the window. "And, my question rang true for that afternoon, the bird left, and so went my spirit." Again, I lowered my head, signifying the end of the scene.

"Impressive," Sikowitz yelled!

I smiled, _surely that means, I got it_ , "So, I got it, right?"

The smile didn't leave his face when he said, "no, you did not."

I was stunned, and my mouth was working while no sound came out, and that's when I had enough, I let my inner-Shelby come out, "¡Eso es una mierda! (That is such bullshit!)" Cat's mouth fell open when I said that, she told me later that the Valentines used to be called, the Valentinos. I'm not the only Hispanic woman among my friends.

"Tori listen…" the teacher began.

"I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING DISRESPECTFUL, Mr. SIKOWITZ, BUT DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD I WORKED ON THIS SCENE? I EVEN TRAINED THAT CRAZY COCKATOO TO FLY IN AND OUT THAT WINDOW, ON COMMAND!" The cockatoo flew back in through the window, " **NOT NOW,** " I snapped at the bird which promptly flew out again. "Now I know you're a great acting teacher and all, but I don't care what you say. The scene I just did was good, and I'm proud of it no matter what anybody thinks!" I cross my arms in front of me and glare at him stubbornly.

"Tori," Sikowitz calls out, I look at him and he's grinning like a madman, "congratulations, you've just passed the Bird Scene," he yells and leads the class in a round of applause. Everybody in the class was clapping their hands, Robbie more enthusiastic then most, even Jade was giving me reluctant applause.

"Whatchu talkin' 'bout, teach," I said channeling my inner Arnold? "The last two attempts…"

"…were lovely," he said softly, "the purpose of the Bird Scene is to teach you students to be confident in your choices as actors."

That's when I remembered Robbie's words about a month ago, _"…be confident in your choices…"_

"That's what that whole scene is for," I asked incredulously?

Sikowitz stood up, "Tori, take your seat," I complied sitting next to Robbie, leaning into him unconsciously, "now, class you are all going to go on quite a few auditions throughout your careers," he spoke seriously for once, "and you're going to be rejected a lot, especially in the beginning, 90,000 aspiring actors and actresses come to Hollywood every year, of them only one will be chosen for fame and glory. Most don't have the talent, thankfully for all of you, this school has chosen you _because_ you're talented, so you won't fall into that category. The talented ones of the 90,000 also fail, because they get discouraged and quit trying. You're all artists, and a true artist need only please himself," he looks at Tori, then Jade and Cat, "or herself," he looked at Rex, "or itself."

"You don't know what I got," Rex retorts.

"Drive-by Acting Exercise, you're all old, blind people, looking for their teeth," he snapped out.

I stood and offered my arm to Robbie, who took it, "shall we," I asked?

"We shall," and we started acting in the exercise.

* * *

I called my friends over to my locker at the end of that week, Robbie, Cat, Jade, and Beck had made it, but Andre was a no show. I had settled on an idea to commemorate how I got into this school. I pasted a poster with the words 'Make It Shine' in CFC font, it showed a darkened cityscape under a night sky. There were stars over the city. "I wanted you all to be present, when I revealed my locker design."

"I don't care what you put on your locker," guess who said that, but it sounded forced to me.

"It's okay, I guess," Beck said dubiously.

"It's pretty dark, Tori," Cat added.

"Yeah, it _seems_ pretty dull," Robbie added pointedly.

I smiled at him as he delivered his lines perfectly, "Well, then maybe I should _make it shine_ ," I said pressing the button on the bottom right corner. The button activated the LED lights in the stars and activated the krypton gases in the letters, turning them a bluish-silver. I chose the title of the song that got me into the school, and the font to honor my Shelby Marx life. If I'm ashamed of her, then I'm ashamed of myself, because she is a piece of me, like Rex was a piece of Robbie. Shelby is still part of me, she is me, I am her, I have made my choice.


	4. Jade and Robbie

**Jade and Robbie**

 _It was pouring rain, and cold outside, but the preadolescent girl ran as hard as she could. Her mom and dad were fighting again, they did not even notice when she left, too wrapped up in hurling insults at each other. It was after ten at night, and according to her parents she was supposed to be asleep in her bed. She had tried to go to sleep, but the shouting and yelling were just too loud. Their house was designed so her parents' bedroom was right next to hers, and most of what they yelled at each other had an unintended audience. The air vents the rooms shared, brought every word from their lips to the girl's ears. She tried to tune it out most of the time, but their voices were just too loud. She lay there for some time, just listening to them shout and curse at each other, after a particularly vile exchange, Jade West, was just fed up with listening to them. She sat up, got out of bed, and got dressed. She pulled out her phone, and texted a number she knew by heart, [Hey, can I come over, 'rents are being loud again?] Five minutes later, after leaving a note about where she will be, she slipped out of her window, and down the trellis to the ground._

 _The brunette looked around, then slipped out of her yard. Jade ran as hard as she could, through the pouring, cold rain. She made a beeline to the one place, the one person, she knew would always be there for her. She came to a house about a block down from hers, the one place that still felt like home to her. It was not a big house, not as big as hers at least, it was a two-story Mediterranean-style home with a tile roof, the color of rich sand, a wide walkway made from the same material, led from the street to the front door portico. There was one light on in one of the windows upstairs. Pulling her phone out again she sent another text, [I'm here, you sure this is okay?] There was no answer on the phone, one minute later, the door opened…_

… Jade lifted her head from the desk in her room, the script that she began working on last night providing a convenient pillow. She stretched her arms above her head, and made a noise as her joints popped, she sat up straighter, looking around her room. It was your typical teenage-goth-girl's bedroom, with dark tones all over, but not much black could be seen. Instead, a mixture of dark-violet and midnight-blue was seen, with crimson-red accent colors here and there. Her bed was a four-poster sleigh, standing to the right of the door as one walked in with appropriate side tables to go with the décor. Her desk which put her back to the door was an antique bureau desk, that once belonged to her grandpa. It housed her scissor collection, as well as other necessary tools of the trade for a writer-director. On the walls, which were bare of any art, except one poster of The Scissoring, the greatest movie of all-time, according to the aspiring actress.

After stretching, Jade turned her attention back to her desk, and the rough draft of the script that was due at the end of the semester. The best one, would be picked for production for the year end finale, held every year. She lifts her head, staring around her desk at the pictures of the most important people in the brunette's life. On the right, a picture of her boyfriend Beck, a headshot that she stole from his locker, he had plenty and would not miss just one. Next to that, on the left was the picture of a fourteen-year-old, dark curly-haired boy, wearing thick glasses, a pink long-sleeved shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was laughing good-naturedly at something, he can find something funny in almost any situation, Jade smiles with affection, at all the times the boy she is closer to than her own family has made her laugh, even when nobody was getting hurt. He was Robert "Robbie" Leonidas Shapiro, her best friend, period. People often took them calling each other brother and sister as a joke, but to them, at least to her, it was no joke.

Robbie Shapiro was her rock, the one person she knew cared for her, and even loved her. Though not in a romantically inclined way, she loved him with all her heart, and she knows he loves her the same. She looked at Beck's photo, boyfriends will come and go, she had no illusions that her relationship with Beck, would last beyond high school. When they graduated in two and a half years, she and Beck would go their separate ways, and try to make their mark in what is known, as the entertainment business. Turning back to Robbie's picture, she contemplated the new dynamic that was growing between herself and Robbie. He as much as admitted through Rex, that he was crushing on the new girl, Tori Vega.

It was not the first time Robbie tried courting some girl, but this is the first time that the girl seemed to reciprocate, or at least acknowledge his feelings. Most girls in his past could not see past his nerdish façade, while others could never be secure enough to overlook the fact that his best friend was a girl. _Robbie doesn't need such weak, shallow skanks anyway, he doesn't need fair-weather girlfriends either._ The jury was still out, on how Tori could handle the situation, or how she would feel about it. Which is why Jade remained neutral regarding, the extraordinarily fit, Hispanic teenager, she did not want to have to choose sides, when or if, Tori dated Robbie. Robbie was the same way with Beck, when the couple started dating, and the boys, still only maintain a cordial friendship.

Robbie tells Jade everything, he and Beck had a talk once, about where they stood together compared to their relationship with Jade. "I like you, Beck," he said to Jade's boyfriend, "I really do, but I love, Jade, she's my priority, my family in every way that matters." Robbie was working in his puppet shop in the backyard, "if you ever do anything to make her feel inferior to you, or hurt her pride, and it goes without saying if you lay a hand on her that she doesn't like," from behind Beck a throat was cleared, on instinct he turned to look and nobody was there, turning back Beck's eyes widened, Robbie was no longer there, then felt a hand on his shoulder, from the direction he had just looked, not a second before, "you'll never see me coming, until it's too late." When Jade heard that from Robbie, and then later from Beck as well, she knew that whatever happened, Robbie would always be there for her.

Jade sighed, "I'm going to give Tori a chance," Jade told herself out loud, then in her mind, _but if she breaks my brother's heart, they'll never find the body!_

Hollywood Arts Hallway – The Next Morning

Jade was standing at her scissor covered locker, getting her books organized for the day. She liked to get to school as early as possible, it gave her a chance to relax before the chaos of the day began. Beck also had to get to school early, he was meeting a friend of his for a demonstration they would be holding for Sikowitz's class: stage fighting. Robbie walked up to his locker, and he smiled as he saw her. She smiled back at him, he and Beck were the only people she ever truly smiled for, only special people get her smile. "Hey Robbie," she greeted warmly, "you all set for your audition today?"

Robbie returned her greeting, "Hey Jade," before answering her question, "I'm as ready as I'll ever be until I get the script," he admitted, "luckily we're going over WWII in history, and I've been doing some extra studying on the subject." Near his locker another boy, a big dude, new to the school this semester, like Tori, was listening to their exchange. "I should do fine on the audition," Robbie continued raising his fingers and crossed them, "so, fingers crossed that I'm what they want."

Jade smiled, "you'll do fine Robbie," she assured him, but brought her fingers up and crossed them anyway, "you're one of the most talented actors in this school, but a little luck never hurt." Just then, a big dude with platinum blonde hair, walked by and brushed Robbie's shoulder roughly, which Robbie barely noticed. Jade glared at the guy but took some satisfaction, that he was rubbing his shoulder as he walked off. He should watch where he's walking, there was plenty of room in the hallway. Robbie and Jade finished the time at their lockers, and walked over to Tori's locker, since that was the direction of Robbie's first period class: World History, it was in the direction the big dude walked after nudging Robbie. "What time is your audition, Robbie?"

"During Síkowitz's class today," he informed, his sister from another mister., "too bad I'll miss the stage-fighting demo today."

They reached the locker of their Latina friend ( _maybe_ ), who looked up, and smiled at them, "Stage-fighting," she looked at them in curiosity, her gaze lingered a fraction of a second longer on Robbie's face? "I've heard of that, it's how fight scene's in movies and TV always look so spectacular," she continued, "when in reality they're anything but."

That quirked Jade's eyebrow, "I wouldn't have thought little miss perfect would know so much about fighting," she scoffed.

Tori looked offended, "well, I do like a good martial arts movie occasionally," she informed Jade, "and my dad is a police officer, he's taught me and my sister a thing or two about defending ourselves." Then turning to Robbie asked, "would you like to be my partner, Robbie?"

Robbie smiled, "I'd like that very much, Tori," then sounding regretful, "but I can't." Her face fell, "I'm auditioning for a production today about World War II, my audition time is during Sikowitz's class."

Tori's eyes widened as she remembered something, "Trina said something about auditioning for that play today, too."

Robbie looked at her in disbelief, then hung his head with a groan, "Tori, I don't want to insult your sister, but has she at least been studying, or doing any prep work for the role?"

Tori hung her own head, "you wish, she spent all weekend watching Hogan's Heroes," and the bell rang like a death knell…

Síkowitz's Class, Black-Box Theater

We walked into the Black-Box Theater, sans Robbie, just in time to see my boyfriend squaring off with another dude. It is so strange to see a guy so laid back, take on such an intense expression, when we weren't fooling around. The dude had curly, dirty-blonde hair, wearing a deep-blue tank, showing off nicely muscled arms, and dark pants. He threw a punch right at Beck's face, Beck took the punch on his chin, before throwing a combination at the dude's jaw. Who seemed to tank Beck's punches like they were nothing, before picking Beck up and slamming him through a table. Beck got up, grabbing a nearby chair, and smashed it in the dude's chest, sending him to the ground, out cold, while the chair broke apart. We all began applauding, Tori had moved to the side leaning forward with hands on knees, angling her head. She too began applauding, apparently impressed with the demonstration.

The dude and Beck stood up shaking hands and giving each other backslapping hugs. The dude and Beck bowed to their audience. "Thank you, thank you," the dude said to them, "I'm Russ, what you've just witnessed was a demonstration of stage-fighting, the type of acting used in action movies and a few other productions to simulate combat." He looked over at Tori, then his brows furrowed in confusion, "has anybody ever told you, you bear a striking resemblance to the MMA fighter, Shelby Marx?"

Tori's eyes widened, and her mouth firmed, then smiling said, "Oh, I get that all the time," she said waving her hand in dismissal, "and I'm not the only person here, who looks like a celebrity, there's a friend of mine, who looks an awful lot like Andy Samberg."

Then I looked at Tori, noticing a tightening around her eyes, and a twitch in her hands. Then looking at her, I began taking in her looks and appearance. That's when I noticed something for the first time, Russ was right, Tori looked enough like Shelby Marx to be her twin. It was then I realized, why Robbie fell for Tori so quickly when she arrived, Shelby Marx was Robbie's fantasy celebrity. Mine's Gerard Butler, all those muscles especially in the movie about Sparta, and that Scottish accent really push my buttons.

Russ shrugged his shoulders going on with his lecture, "Stage-fighting isn't all that complicated, it's all about angles, and knowing when to stop your movements." Russ indicates the table and the chair, props used in his fight with Beck. After their fight, Beck took a seat in a chair near the end and hooked his arm around the chair at the end, he knows me so well. I take the chair his arm is on and feel his hand move to hook onto my shoulder, I smile at him and lean in pressing my other shoulder into him. "The props are staged to intentionally break, from chairs," he pointed at the chair Beck used, "to tables," he says, indicating the table he threw my boyfriend through, then picking up an old-style, glass, coke bottle, "even hand held objects like this," he raises the bottle and smashes it down on his own head, he suddenly lurched as if he were hit by a great weight. "That wasn't a prop," he said in a stricken voice, before dropping like a stone. Most of us were completely fooled by his act, the girls screamed in surprise, and the boys leaped up to check the downed actor. All of us except me, Beck, and Tori, though she did lean forward, I guess, to make sure it really was an act, before returning to a seat near us, and sitting down to wait, with her arms folded.

"This is my new favorite class," I said happily, smiling warmly.

"You just like seeing people get hurt," my boyfriend accused, with a smirk indicating he was kidding with me.

"Not all people," I replied primly, then with a faux-malevolent glare at the seminar coach, "just Russ, if it were you, or Robbie," then grudgingly looked over at the other brunette, and projecting my voice so she could hear, "or any of my other friends, I would be at least mildly concerned."

Tori looked over at me, then smiled lightly, "same here, especially Robbie," our eyes met and mine hardened, as I gave her a warning that other women understood, it conveyed the sentiment I came to in my mind last night, "he seemed to be talking to one of the other new guys in history class today, Brad Battis." She turned back to the scene, "Brad's a big guy and seemed to be trying to intimidate Robbie, into doing something," she informed us, "Robbie was being all meek, and mild, but he was acting, he was using the same tone he uses when he performs skits for Síkowitz."

Beck and I looked at each other, I had an amused expression on my face. So, did Beck, as he shook his head in derision, then I spoke up, "You're right," I said, "Robbie was most definitely acting, nobody intimidates my brother," I informed my 'new' friend. "This Brad, does he have platinum blonde hair, and look like a linebacker?"

Tori nodded, "Oh yeah, and he carries himself like he's God's gift to the world, or something."

"I saw this dude this morning, he has a locker just a few doors down from mine and Robbie's," I told them, "he walked by our locker, and bumped into Robbie, there was plenty of space in the hall." Then looking at her, I asked, "he's not bad looking, though not as good-looking as Beck here," I said pressing further into him, "and he's got muscles, which you said you liked on a guy, why don't you go for him," I asked Tori?

She turned back to us, "Brad is handsome, and he has muscles, but I shook his hand once, it was like a baby's hand, smooth, like he's never done a lick of work in his life," she told them like it was the most repugnant thing she ever felt. "Brad's muscles are clearly all show, no go," then her voice becomes dreamy, "not like Robbie's grip, I felt that the first day here, when he knocked me down, then stood me back up like I weighed nothing, it's obvious he works and works out all the time. Robbie's hands when he puts his arm around me feel like workman's hands," then she coughs and sits up straight, crossing her legs, "anyway the way Brad was trying to intimidate Robbie, made him seem like a bully."

"Robbie is a carpenter, and wood carver," my boyfriend told my new friend, tentatively, "he's pretty good too, not that I'm a judge, I'm more of a mechanic, but he built Rex, and already works in Hollywood building sets and props for some Hollywood productions." Then, Beck makes a noise, and turns his head, "If this Brad thinks he can intimidate Robbie, then he's in for a rude awakening," then looking at me to confirm something, which I nodded.

Tori nodded as if in silent agreement, but she still asked, "You two sure, not that I doubt Robbie's courage, but Brad's pretty big, Robbie could get hurt."

It was my turn to speak up, "Like I said, nobody can intimidate my brother," I told her with pride, and love in my voice, "when Brad bumped into Robbie this morning, Robbie barely noticed, when I turned my eyes to follow Brad down the hall, he was massaging his shoulder where he made contact. My guess is, it's twit of the month, hoping to find an easy mark to bully, well he chose the wrong nerd to intimidate."

We had only been chatting for a minute or two, when Russ sat up abruptly, startling those gathered around him, "That was a prop bottle," he said getting up, and the class applauded again, "now back to your seats and I'll give you, your assignment for this seminar." Russ got up and stood at the lectern, "I'm going to put you all in pairs, and you're going to improvise a stage-fighting scene and present it to the class next week. Here are your partners: Jade West and Tori Vega…"

Asphalt Café – Next Day

It was lunchtime the next day, where we found Robbie scribbling notes onto a notepad, and reading from a history book. We all gathered round the table, I sat on his right, Tori his left, Cat next to her, Beck next to me, and Andre on the far side of the table. I reached over and lifted the book cover to read what it said, Hannibal of Carthage, then I leaned over to see which part he was reading, "Military Campaigns," it read. "Hey Robbie, doing homework I see."

Robbie nodded, "Yeah, but not my own homework, this is for Brad Battis," he replied distractedly, "he's making me do that research paper on World War II, due in history class next week."

Tori was puzzled, "you mean, the one that's worth half our final grade for this six-week period," she asked?

Robbie nodded again, "That's the one, I'm finishing his first, then I'll work on mine, 'Patton vs. Rommel,'" he said patting his backpack.

Then I spoke up, "but, what does Hannibal have to do with WWII," I asked my brother from another mother, "he fought the Romans didn't he?"

That's when Robbie looked at me and grinned malevolently, "That's correct Jade, and he has nothing to do with the last World conflict, at all."

"So, Brad is making you do his work," Tori asked in disgust, then looking bewildered, "so why are you doing it, Jade told me you couldn't be bullied?"

Robbie turned to her, "Of course not, he didn't intimidate me," he said sounding offended, "but I let him believe he did."

"Then, why are you doing his work for him," Tori retorted, "why not just refuse him, or tell the teacher?"

"Tori, I know we haven't known each other that long, but you should have faith in me," Robbie replied sounding hurt. Then he gets up, collected his things, and left without looking at her.

"Why did you say that to him," I snapped!?

"Because, I thought he had courage, I didn't think he would kowtow to a bully," she said, defending her position.

I looked at her in disbelief, then I slapped my forehead, "weren't you listening just now, he's not kowtowing, he's defying Brad." She looked at me without comprehension, "Brad is trying to make him do his homework for him, a paper on World War II, but Robbie is doing the paper on Hannibal the General. What do you think will happen, when Brad turns in that paper for his grade?" That's when the light bulb went off in her eyes, but I continued, "you're right, Robbie could've blatantly refused to do the work, but that's not how Robbie thinks," I clued her in, "he was thinking, 'If Brad is trying to get me to do his work in history, an easy class, then what about all the other classes, like Math, and Science, are there other kids he's intimidating in those classes to do his work for him?', Robbie is thinking about other people."

"Well, why not go to the teacher," Tori asked with a hint of fear, as well she should?

"With what evidence, it'll just be his word against Brad's," I remind her, "this way he can defy Brad and teach him a lesson at the same time."

Tori dropped her head in her hands, "what have I done, I questioned his honor," then standing she packs her lunch back up? "I'm going to go find him, and beg his forgiveness, hopefully he'll still want to be my friend." I've only seen one other person, move as efficiently or as quickly as her, then she ran as fast as she could across the parking lot to the door Robbie went through just moments before. My eyes widened at how fast she was moving, I've only seen Robbie move like that.

Hollywood Arts Hallway – Tori's POV

I don't think I've ever moved as fast as I did when I hit that hallway. I moved frantically down the halls of my new school, looking for the boy who welcomed me so warmly into this place. He was the first person to include me in this school, he brought me into his circle of friends, and even put his feelings out there for me the first day. What did I do with them, I stomp on them and accuse him of cowardice. Even if I wasn't ready to return his feelings yet, that was no way to treat somebody I considered a friend.

I rushed down the hallway, looking left and right for my friend, _maybe more in the future,_ and saw Trina coming down the corridor. She was looking confused as she saw me, she hesitated before approaching me. "Hey Tori," she said which got a nod from me as I looked around, "aren't you supposed to be at lunch?"

I nodded again, as I continued to look around for Robbie, "Yes, but I need to find Robbie," I informed her, "I said something that hurt him, and have to apologize for it." There were other students in the hall, but not the one I wanted, "have you seen him?"

Trina nodded and pointed back the way she came, "did Robbie tell you we kissed yesterday," she asked? That brought me up short, and I turned to look at her, "it was for the audition," she added hurriedly, "there's a kissing scene in it, and we had to actually kiss." I don't know why, but the thought of Robbie kissing anybody else upset me, and it must have shown on my face because my sister rushed to add, "It didn't mean anything, Victoria," she told me quickly, "this is a school for acting, most of the plays here have scenes like that," she told me placing a placating hand on me.

I took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, "I know, and I'm sorry for looking mad, and it won't matter until I find him, and make sure he's still my friend. Then, I'll have a right to get jealous," I added, "you said you saw him head back that way," I asked?

"Yes," she nodded, "I saw him heading into the janitor's closet, across from your locker."

I hurried away from Trina, down the hall tossing a quick, "thanks," behind me. I literally ran down the corridor, not caring if I got in trouble, detention is the least of my worries right now. I found the janitor's closet, and stopping in front of it, sent a silent prayer to Heaven that he was in there. I turned the knob, and breathed a sigh of relief, I walked in and standing in front of me was for the moment, the most important person in the world to me. "Robbie," I said, my voice sounding like a little girl's after she got in trouble. He turned, and I saw the distraught expression on his face, "Robbie, I am so sorry," I said taking a step forward, "I shouldn't have assumed you were being a victim of bullying," I said, lowering my head.

Robbie turned away from me, "It's okay Tori," he said too quickly.

"No it's not," I snapped just as quickly, and passionately, "I should've listened to you before jumping to conclusions," I told him moving up to his back, placing my hands on his firm shoulders, and spinning him around, making him look me in the eye. "We're supposed to be friends, and I was assuming the worst about you," I said with heat, and tears in my eyes, "I cast doubt upon your honor and integrity," I begin crying. "It's not okay, please don't tell me it's okay, because I know it's not okay for friends to do that to each other," I bury my face in Robbie's chest, and allow myself to cry. I feel his arms come around me as he hugs me tightly, giving me comfort when I know I don't deserve it. After several minutes, I step back and look him in the eyes, then bow my head and say in a clear voice, "I, Victoria Dawn Vega, humbly beg you to forgive my worthless self, for thinking you a coward, and jumping to conclusions, and doubting who you are as a man, and casting doubt upon your honor and integrity, and pray that you still want to be my friend," I begged with my head bowed, _and maybe more when I have the courage to accept how you feel about me_ , I finish in my mind.

When I bowed my head before him in humility, I couldn't see his eyes. Then, putting his hand under my chin, and raising my head until I was looking him in the eyes, he said formally, "Victoria Dawn Vega, I, Robert Leonidas Shapiro, grant you forgiveness," he laid his hand upon my head, "in the name of Jesus the Christ, when we leave here, your transgressions will be erased between us, and will only serve to teach us." We hugged, then left the janitor's closet, we made it to Sikowitz' class late that day, but it was worth it, because our relationship was stronger than ever.

Black-Box Theater – Friday

Today was the day when Jade and I would unveil our stage-fighting scene. We decided to recreate the final fight in Rocky, only as female boxers. My character would be named Roxy Balboa, and Jade, would be Artemis Creed. We wore similar outfits as the movie, except they had a matching top, mine was mostly white satin, with scarlet trim along the sides and across the chest, Jade of course wore an American flag.

It seems ironic that I felt at home stepping into a ring again, even if it was for a fictional boxing match. Russ introduced us, even taking on the voice of a fictional announcer. "And now, the moment you have all been waiting for, this is the main card for tonight, the match you've all been waiting for, LET'S GET READY TO RUUUUMBLE! Introducing the challenger in a white and red outfit, in the red corner fighting out of Philadelphia, at 145lbs Roxy Balboa!" As he said that, I walked out of my dressing room, it was almost like I was back on the circuit, only instead of playing the champion, this time I was the challenger. The class had been asked to chant like the crowd in the movie, so as I walked out of the dressing room, I heard, "ROXY, ROXY, ROXY, ROXY!" I asked Cat to play the part of Rocky's cut man, Paulie, only her name was spelled, Polly. So, she put her hands on my shoulders and guided me to the stage/ring, all the time massaging my shoulders just like my manager used to do when I was still in MMA.

Russ continued playing the part of ring announcer, "And now, the moment you've truly all been waiting for, welcome back to the ring, the undefeated featherweight champion of the world, known as the Goddess of the Ring, in the red, white, and blue outfit, fighting out of Los Angeles and the blue corner, weighing in at 146lbs, Artemis 'the Goddess' Creed!" Just like in the movie while I had the backing of the home crowd, she had the world backing her, and while some of them still chanted "Roxy," they were drowned out by most of the crowd, which went wild. Again, it felt weird when my name wasn't the one being said after the words 'undefeated,' and 'champion.' It felt weird, but not in a bad way, it felt like I had finally achieved the anonymity I wanted when I retired.

Robbie was asked to serve as referee, to get at least some credit for stage-fighting, this was his second day back since the day of his audition. He got the part, but Trina didn't, and rehearsals would begin over the weekend. He called us to the center of the ring, and began his fight instructions, "Alright, I've explained the rules of the fight in the locker room, the fight will go until I say stop, there is no three-knock down rule, and no standing-eight count, I will stop the fight if I see fit. In the event of a knock-down, whoever is left standing will retire to a neutral corner and wait there until I call you out. Do you both understand the rules as I have explained them to you?"

"Yes," we chorused!

"Alright," he said, "back to your corners, and let the fight begin," he yelled stepping back!

We went back to our corners, my back was to the rang as I crossed myself, and the bell rang. I turned and made it to the center of the ring. Creed, started in right away with two quick jabs to my face, and I felt the breeze as she fired them right at me and began dancing around me. I took them square in the face, as the movie depicted. She fired two more, and I swung wildly which she ducked easily. The fight continued that way for the first few seconds, she would dance around me and flick jabs in my face, and I would send the occasional wild punch her way. Then I set her up, leaving an opening which she went for and that's when I sent a powerful left uppercut, right in her cheek. It wasn't even a tenth of the speed I was capable of, but as per the fight choreography she went down to the mat. I went to my neutral corner as was scripted, while the referee began counting.

She got up and was disoriented, staggering around the ring for a second or two. The ref grabbed her by the gloves to make sure she was alright, when that was done, and he was sure she was alright, he resumed the fight. I came out of my corner, and it was a repeat of before, I let her hit me in the face, while she danced around me. This time she began to take me more seriously, and started in with the real punches, ones with real power behind them. If they had hit me they would have stung a little, but Jade was good at this, I began to wonder if she had any real fight training. After one flurry of punches, I ducked around them, and began delivering body-blows to her ribs and stomach, again they were a fraction of my true speed and power, and though they looked real, they stopped within half an inch of connecting with their targets. We moved back until we were near the edge of the ring, when she grabbed me in a clinch, to stop my blows. This was scripted, but what she said in my ear wasn't, "your dad, really taught you something, your punches would really hurt, if they connected."

"Thanks," I replied, "you've had some real fight training too," I smiled in her ear. Then Robbie was there to break up the clinch, and we couldn't talk anymore. Our pseudo-fight continued along the lines of that iconic movie, and the fight came down to the decision, and Russ came back into it.

Robbie stood between us, holding our arms down as Russ began to speak, "and the winner by split-decision," our stage-fighting coach announced, "The Goddess of the Ring, Artemis Creeeed," and Robbie raised his best friend's arm, who smiled and waved both hands, in the movie it was just and exhibition match, and wouldn't have been counted as a win or loss. I turned and held up my gloved hands, and we fist bumped, then hugged. That weird feeling returned, this was the first time I'd been in a ring, and not walked away with the victory, again I could not find it within myself to care.

While we hugged, Jade whispered in my ear, "I want us to be friends, but understand this, Robbie is my brother and I love him, I will always be there for him, just the way he was always there for me," I listened as Jade told me how she felt. "I'm going to give you the same warning, Robbie gave Beck at the beginning of our relationship, when or if, the two of you date," she said her voice a growl, "do not cheat on him or take him for granted," as she was talking I felt her hold on me tighten with every word. "You were lucky he forgave you the other day after you put your foot in your mouth," her hold on me became restrictive, and I knew that while she wasn't as powerful as me or Trina, she could hold her own if we ever scrapped, "don't let it happen again, understand?"

I nodded, "I understand, Jade," I said softly.

She stood back staring into my eyes trying to judge my sincerity, she must have found what she was looking for because she nodded. "Robbie's lucky," she said with a smile, "he's got someone who looks enough like his celebrity crush to be her twin, going to school with him." I must have looked confused, so she clarified her statement, "Shelby Marx," my eyes went wide, "Robbie's had a crush on Shelby Marx, since she started her career at age twelve, he used to watch and wait for her fights on pay-per-view, and he even loved that exhibition match with iCarly." My pulse began racing, Robbie was a fan of mine, but Jade continued, "he has life-sized posters of the fighter all over his room, he was moping around for months after she retired, and he only really came out of it around the time you came to school here. So, in a way, I'm glad you came here Tori, your presence really seems to have brought my brother out of his funk."

As she walked away, I was left dumbfounded, Robbie had a crush on Shelby Marx? Did he recognize me that first-day? I remembered that look of recognition that passed through his eyes, when he first got a good look at me, I just assumed he remembered me from the showcase, but what if he recognized me from all the fights he'd seen on pay-per-view, and the life-sized posters in his room?

I took a deep breath and made myself think, if he did recognize me, he hasn't once called me on it, he has never once called me 'Shelby,' he's just always called me 'Tori,' or once yesterday, 'Victoria.' He hasn't even mentioned MMA, or even that he has a crush on 'Shelby,' me, I had to hear about it from Jade. I turned to look at Robbie, who was chatting with Beck. Would it change things between us if he knew I was the real Shelby Marx? If he did recognize me that first day, he hasn't even hinted about it, which means that I could perhaps trust him with my secret. Which was the reason I broke up with my last boyfriend, I didn't know if I could trust him. Besides, with me going into the entertainment biz, it was inevitable that my secret would get out eventually, I just want to control when and where it happens.

This doesn't change anything between me and Robbie, he's still a friend who has a crush on me, which isn't totally unwelcome. _He's not creepy about it and doesn't constantly hit on me. I don't mind at all that he sometimes puts his arm around me, I am even beginning to look forward to it. The fact that he may already know that I am his celebrity crush, is a point in his favor, because he treats me like Tori Vega, and not like Shelby Marx. Yes, it does change things between us, it's making him more attractive to me, but I want to maintain our friendship for the moment. I still don't want to rush into anything._ Coming out of my musings, I walk over to my friends, and take a seat as we watch the other acts of the day. I sit in the seat next to Robbie, he places his hand on my shoulder, I lean my shoulder into his, and ponder what it would be like to date my biggest fan.


	5. Tori's Diary First Entry

[1] Victorious song - You're the Reason; Victorious album ©; Written by Michael Corcoran, Chris Abraham, Dan Schneider

Four Weeks Later

Dear Diary, I'm sorry I haven't written to you in a while, but the last few weeks haven't left me, very much time to write to you. So many things have happened, that I wonder if I'll have time to write it all down. Relations between my new friends and me, have only grown stronger. Cat and I have become pretty good friends, we hang out all the time, even when we're not doing an assignment together. We hang out at my place mostly, but only when Cat's older, obviously insane brother is not home. I swear every story I hear about Cat's brother, makes me appreciate Trina even more, and thinking about him makes me double-down on my training.

Andre, however, is still Andre, and one of the more solid friendships I've made since coming to Hollywood Arts High School. We've collaborated on several pieces of music together, one of which, "You're the Reason, [1]" earned a copyright for Andre Harris, and me a song credit. We wrote it together as a birthday present for my borderline narcissistic, sister's birthday, we slaved away making it for her, which she did not appreciate, thinking that birthday gifts had to be materialistic. That was the closest me and Trina ever came to violating Vega rule number one, and the first time my new friends saw my temper flare. Ironically, it was Jade who suggested we copyright it before we performed it for Trina. We also taped our performance, which proved to be advantageous, because Trina tried to sing it and pass it off as her own music. Again, I came very close to disowning my sister after that, and even dad took a hand and grounded her for a whole month. The music studio who tried to buy the song from Trina settled for paying Andre royalties, for the use of his song. Trina's stunt blacklisted her from the music community. I remembered her quip back before I even joined HA, when she stated sarcastically, "nobody cares who writes the song," well she's now eating her words, because song stealing in the music biz is a huge deal, if you're caught doing it. Andre was still doing ballet and actually enjoyed the workout from ballet, he said it increased his endurance, and dexterity, not to mention his strength, since ballerinos, do a lot of ballerina carrying in some productions.

Speaking of Jade, while I wouldn't call us the strongest of friends, after misreading the situation with Robbie and Brad Battis, and our exchange during our stage fighting scene, we have begun to if not warm up to each other, then thaw toward each other. When Cat and I get together, Jade sometimes, and mostly upon request from Cat, will accompany us in doing various activities, some that no girl no matter how unconventional she may be can resist. It was during this time that Jade and Beck took a small break in their relationship. It all started, when Beck began hanging out with a pretty-blonde socialite, who seemed to really like him. Jade, who was super-protective of what she thought of as her territory – _which I kind of agree with, Robbie_ – didn't take this news well. Beck didn't exactly disabuse her of the idea that he could be cheating on her, it seemed like he was playing chicken with her to see what she would do, so she dumped his ass. Most of us were divided over our loyalties, and all but one of us seemed to voice their opinions over the subject. I thought it was really low the way Beck seemed to be toying with Jade's heart like that, and yet the one person I thought would be the most vocal over the issue, said not a word.

Robbie was utterly silent on the subject, and on the first day after the termination of the relationship, we all gathered around a lunch table. I arrived that day to find Jade and Robbie sitting together, and claimed my seat next to Robbie, with Andre on my other side, and Cat was beyond Jade, Beck hadn't shown up yet. We were making small-talk, studiously avoiding the elephant in the room. Lunch was almost over when, Robbie's eyes harden, but gave no other sign that he was disturbed. He didn't need to because, not five-minutes later, a yellow coupe came roaring into the parking lot, which happened to be behind Jade and Robbie. I immediately warned Jade of the impending arrival of her ex, with the girl that supposedly ruined their relationship. "What, if ' **that's** ' what Beck wants then I hope he has tons-of-fun with ' **it** '," she said practically strangling her burrito. Beck walked by our table, nodding at us, and Jade just sat there looking as unperturbed as a mountain. Robbie's face was expressionless, and the way his glasses reflected the ambient light, obscured his eyes as his head remained rock still as Beck walked by us.

That night, one of the few nights in southern Cali, with stormy weather, there was a knock at my door. Upon answering it stood Jade, holding a kite, and crying, "this kite is broken," she sobbed.

"Okay," I asked confused, "and," I asked?

"I was just walking around, and I saw this kite stuck in a bush," Jade explained in a shaky voice, "and it's broken, and someone needs to fix it!"

If I was confused before, I was bewildered now, kite fixing seemed more like Robbie territory, what with a workshop in his back yard. "You want me to fix your kite," I asked?

Jade suddenly threw the kite to the side and snapped, "would you forget about the stupid kite!"

I obviously already understood, before she had to say it, that I knew it wasn't about the kite, "I'm sorry I brought it up?"

Jade seemed to be very distraught, because she just couldn't seem to speak for a moment, then getting herself under control, marginally, came out with it, "I want Beck back!"

I nodded as she came to the crux of why she was here, I had to state the obvious to get her to explain more to me, "but you broke up with Beck."

Jade still crying began to explain her reasoning, while dropping down on the couch with face in hands, "I know," she sobbed. "It was just like, when I was seven, and threw away my Potato Patch Pal, and by the time I wanted it back, my mother already gave it to some greedy orphans!" Then she broke down completely for a little while before she got herself under control, by recalling a particularly precious memory, "it was after that, when Robbie took up wood work, he promised me he would get good enough to make me another doll," she said with a slight smile on her lips. "He told me, he would get good enough someday, to make me a better doll than the one I threw out," she said as she recalled that memory.

I was smiling along with her at the boy who had definitely captured my attention from the first day I arrived here, which brought out my curiosity. I stepped forward, sat down next to her, placing my hand on her arm, which she didn't shrug off, and began, "I've gotta ask, given all that's going on with you and Beck, the one voice that seems particularly quiet about all this is Robbie's," she turned to me, "given how close you are, why would you come to me and not him, I know he would help you, or is this some sort of bros before hoes thing?"

For the first time since the breakup, Jade just laughed, "Robbie's not getting involved with this situation, because I've asked him not to," I must've looked confused, which I was because she continued. "First and foremost, I don't need anybody fighting my battles for me," I quirked an eyebrow because that's just what she was asking me to do, wasn't it, "and for the record you're not going to be doing anything but acting as a go between."

I nodded as I understood her reasoning, but asked another question to get to the real reason she's holding her brother from another mother back, "what's the other reason you asked Robbie to stay out of it?"

Jade sighed, "Look, if Robbie got involved, Beck could very well end up in the hospital or the mental ward, he wanted to do something like that to Beck, before I broke it off with him," Jade's voice had the ring of truth in it. "Robbie was really pissed with the way, Beck was treating me, Robbie saw our little dance as a game of relationship chicken, with Beck daring me to cut the cord," I nodded as I remembered thinking along those same lines. "So, the night before I broke up with Beck, I went over to Robbie's and made him promise not to do, or say anything, until this all worked itself out, one way or another," Jade said, as her lip twitched.

I nodded, from what I've learned about my Robbie as I've gotten to know him, is you can pretty much walk all over him, but mess with one of his friends, especially Jade, and he was like a totally different person. The kind, caring, and rather handsome boy I've come to know, disappeared, when that happened, he became an implacable enemy, as a certain blonde-haired Neanderthal, learned a few weeks after Jade and Beck patched things up. More on Robbie later, for now I'll tell you how I helped patch things up with the two lovebirds.

I became a sort of intermediary between Jade and Beck. He told me how she hasn't been very nice to him, and all she got him for his birthday this year was a can of lemonade. I admonished her for that and told her that your boyfriend, should at least get a more personal gift, and both of them needed to work on communication, and going the extra-mile for each other. I even used the what if scenario about me and Robbie, and I just did the bare minimum to keep him. That seemed to wake her up to the fact that being hot and looking-good-together, while good enough for the casual observer, wasn't the most important part of a relationship. Again, I used Robbie and me as an example, let's face it Robbie is not hot, like Beck, or even Andre, but it wasn't really his looks that have attracted me to him, its the fact that he treats people the way he wants to be treated, genuinely cares about his friends, and not status or being popular. He is cute, and handsome when he dresses up, but let's face it, I'm much better looking than he is, I admit that even to myself, but I couldn't give a shit less what he looks like, he'll be my man someday, and I'll dismantle any skank who moves in on my Robbie. Oh, and the thought of feeling his stout and sturdy body pressed into mine tends to make me weak-kneed.

We were at Beck's trailer and things were looking up for Beck and Jade, they were about to kiss when, "not so fast," came from a voice I would know anywhere. The couple looked up at the intruder, Beck was astonished, Jade only curious, because walking into the Oliver drive-way was the one I had just been writing about, the curly-haired Jewish-Spartan, that no matter what I do, I can't get off my mind, Robert "Robbie" Leonidas Shapiro. He walked up to them, nodding to me as he passed me, but even I couldn't get a smile from him, because right now he wasn't my Robbie, he was Jade's brother. He walked up to Jade and Beck, and there must have been a look that Jade recognized, because she knew what was about to happen, and she couldn't have stopped it even if she wanted to, and she later confided in me that she really didn't want to, Beck had toyed with her heart, and though she chose to forgive him, that didn't mean he didn't deserve what he was about to get. That's the night I found out that Robbie's body, unlike Brad was not for show, it was all substance.

Robbie didn't even break stride, and he wasn't wearing his glasses, when he seized Beck by the back of the head, "I warned you, Beck," he spoke, whirling around he flung the newly, reunited boyfriend of Jade face first into his own trailer. "I warned you what would happen to you if you treated Jade like she was inferior to you," Robbie reminded him, as he grabbed Beck by the lapels of his jacket. Robbie hauled the pretty boy to his feet and maintaining his grip on Beck's jacket, flung him around even harder into Beck's trailer. It was so hard it made the entire trailer rock back and forth, I've only seen that kind of power in some of the heavier male MMA fighters. Robbie grabbed Beck by his hair, and again pulled him to his feet, "you toyed with Jade's emotions, never taking them into consideration, when you started seeing another woman behind her back," Robbie told the aspiring actor, he brought Beck into a Muay Thai head clinch, before Robbie's knee rammed into Beck's gut, once, twice, three times. "That you were not cheating on her was immaterial," Robbie said as he let Beck drop to the ground and retch, "you kept parading her around in front of your girlfriend, daring Jade to break up with you, and when she did, you acted like the end of your relationship meant absolutely nothing to you," Robbie was practically shouting at the end of his tirade! Beck looked up at Robbie, when Robbie reared back his fist, and clobbered Beck, sending him down to the deck on his back. Beck was still awake, barely conscious, as Robbie looked into Beck's face, "this was only a warning, and Jade has chosen to take you back, though I don't know why, but this is your last chance, get your head out of your ass, and start treating Jade like the most precious person in your life, or break off with her for good, but if you ever pull another stunt like this, then God have mercy on you Beck, because I won't," before turning and walking back the way he came, this time he did smile and wink at me before leaving the Oliver drive-way.

Things were tense between Beck and Robbie for a whole week after that, but Beck seemed to take Robbie's words to heart, as he really started putting some effort into Jade. Only time will tell if this is permanent, or just kept fresh in his mind by the bruises and cuts on his body.

* * *

Robert Leonidas Shapiro;

Mrs. Robert Leonidas Shapiro

Mrs. Robert Shapiro.

Mrs. Robbie Shapiro.

Victoria Dawn Shapiro,

Victoria Shapiro.

Vicky Shapiro

Tori Shapiro.

Pop singer names:

Tori Piro,

Torsha,

Tori Pyro.

That name, that boy, no that man, I can't seem to go a day, without thinking about the person that has made my transition from Sherwood to Hollywood Arts, one of the most enjoyable experiences of my young life. Right up there with the first time I became champion, then my first true title defense, but even they pale in comparison to this person, who seems to embody everything I've ever wanted in a man. Strong in body and morals, willing to work for what he wants, with the callouses on his work hardened hands to prove it. Amazingly perceptive, smart, shrewd, cunning, yet not malicious, confident but humble, caring, loving, and those qualities that are unnamable but are also essential to make Robbie Shapiro, my Robbie. Yes, I, Tori Vega, am finally falling for Robbie Shapiro. When I sang that song, in that play, I wasn't singing to Beck's character as scripted, I was singing to Robbie, I was imagining him standing in front of me, looking at me as I poured my heart into that song. I don't know, when it began, but I do know what it was, that finally pushed me over the edge.

The Monday after the situation where I accused Robbie of cowardice – _Thank you God for his forgiveness_ – we had spent the weekend together, working on our projects, me on my own, and Robbie on two, his own and the one belonging to Brad Battis, he finished both and to be honest it was a pretty good story, it basically retold the story of Hannibal's crossing of the Alps, but replaced the elephants, with tanks that Robbie called elephant tanks. Robbie was giving Brad the benefit of the doubt and put the whole thing into the actual time period as World War II. Robbie even gave the paper the title, "Desert Fox," just in case Brad ever watch the movie, "Patton." I added the finishing touch when I mixed together a mixture of lemon juice, honey, and vinegar, also known as invisible ink, I loaded a fountain pen and proceeded to write Robbie's name as the author under duress by the person handing it in. Robbie's true paper which was originally "Patton vs. Rommel," changed to "Patton's Campaign in Sicily."

Robbie made sure to give Brad, Desert Fox, out of site, to give his scheme the air of authenticity. Robbie sure played the part of bullied nerd well, or Brad was a really bad actor, because according to Sikowitz, good actors can spot lies on instinct, because you had to know what a performance was, and what was the real person. I waited at the door to our classroom, making sure Robbie made it on time, which he barely did, as Brad was already in his seat. Class started, and Brad was either that confident in his ability to cow Robbie, gullible, or that stupid, because he never once looked through his report. The teacher called the reports forward, and everybody passed them up. We wouldn't get them back for four weeks.

That week was the week of my sister's birthday, and as I stated above we wrote her a song she didn't appreciate. While all that chizz was happening, Robbie and Cat went to fix his grandma's internet, Cat didn't seem to make a very good impression with his Mamaw. She kept calling Cat a tramp, until finally Robbie became upset with his grandmother and said if she can't be civil to one of his good friends then he just wouldn't come over anymore, since his friends were his family at school. That seemed to get the old bat's attention, and she began to make an effort to be nice.

In the entire week of Jade and Beck's break up, to take his mind off his sister from another mister, Robbie threw himself into his work for the Slap, reviewing the various productions of Hollywood Arts. Now, Robbie is very fair, and always gives constructive criticism in his blogs, but that week there was a problem. Trina had decided to put on a one woman show – _because nobody wants to work with you, Trina_ – but for all Robbie's verbal acrobatics he couldn't find anything constructive to say about it, the most constructive statement he made was 'at least the audience got some good sleep,' he was at his wits end, and finally lamented his troubles to Andre, who suggested Robbie review it as a comedy. The end of that week was when Robbie gave Beck his thrashing.

The next week was my first lead in a leading role at HA, and Beck and Robbie were two men vying for my character Penny's affections. Beck was playing the part of a poor farmer, while my Robbie was going against type by playing a rich industrialist. Everything was going well, until the day before opening night, when Cat needing help for her make up class, mixed Grizzly Glue up with Derma Glue – _probably thinking glue was glue, Cat_ – which was industrial grade cement. Trina actually showed a modicum of sisterly concern, and volunteered to drive the two hours to Bakersfield, to get the glue solvent before the play. I love Cat, and I have to love Trina, but I should've known better, then to rely on them for anything. I had to play the lead character, as a **fucking** **Zombie**.

Monday morning the next week, we got our papers back at the end of class, and of course Robbie and I got very good grades on them. We heard a gasp and turned to see Brad, looking shocked at his paper, I was behind him and saw the grade he got, _low 50's_ , and a note that told him to see the teacher. He turned a scathing glare at my Robbie, who looked back impassively, before turning his paper around to show Brad, the score Robbie earned, _high 90's_ , which showed Brad, just how unafraid my Robbie was of him, and if Brad had any brains at all would have just stopped at glaring at _unofficially_ my guy. Sadly, for Brad, he wasn't that smart to begin with, maybe if he actually worked hard, instead of forcing others to do his work for him, he might have realized whom, he was dealing with.

The bell rang, and Robbie walks over to me, waiting for me to gather my stuff, we walk out of the classroom, heading for our lockers, mine is closer so he heads across the hall to his own. Jade is there getting her things for her next class, she smiles at Robbie but frowns as she sees somebody rushing up behind Robbie. He just nods and turns to face Brad, a look of indifference crossing his face, "Hey, Brad, how can I help you," Robbie said quirking an eyebrow?

Brad got right in Robbie's face and in a hushed tone growled, "you can help me nerd, by standing there, while I kick your fucking ass," then tried to shove Robbie, who had lowered his center of gravity, causing the shove to only move Robbie, an inch at most!

Robbie adopted a look of confusion, "why Brad, you seem perturbed," he observed, "what could be the cause of your rage," Robbie asked mockingly?

"You were supposed to do my history paper," Brad shouted, "I told you to do it, four weeks ago," he raged giving a charging shove at my Robbie, who sidestepped causing Brad to shoot passed him and slam his hands into the locker.

The way Robbie moved, should really have clued Brad, into just the caliber of the warrior he was facing. I've only ever seen one other person move with his kind of speed, my papi. Robbie cupped an elbow and massaged his chin, he was standing side on to Brad, "which paper is this, this school is lousy with printed paper, what with scripts, playbills, and don't get me started on the homework?"

"The history paper on WWII, we turned in four weeks ago, dumbass," Brad said while charging at Robbie! This time Robbie met his charge head on with a left hook, followed immediately by a right cross, then a straight shot that broke his nose and stunned him. Robbie didn't give him any time to recover as he rushed in, ducking under, and delivering an uppercut right into Brad's chin. Robbie had perfect form, the chin music was powerful enough to lift Brad off the ground for an instant, he ended up in a heap on the floor.

Just then, Principal Eikner showed up, he wasn't seen much, in fact I had only ever dealt with Lane Alexander, the Guidance Counselor, since the Big Showcase. "What's going on here," he demanded?

Robbie turned to look at Eikner and smiled, "sir, I'd like to report Brad Battis," he said gesturing with his hand to the semi-conscious teenager behind him, "he tried to use intimidation against me, to do one of his homework assignments, after I intentionally failed the paper, he attempted to assault me in retaliation, therefore I was forced to defend myself using various means."

Eikner was listening and thinking, "unfortunately, Mr. Shapiro I can't just take your word for it," he told him, "I need evidence to present before the school board, and later to the police," he informed my Robbie.

Robbie nodded, "while I didn't know he was going to attack me, I prepared for it, and since I knew the day it might happen, I set up a surveillance camera and microphone inside my locker, which recorded everything we said to each other." As Robbie said this he was pointed to his locker, "please retrieve it yourself to prevent any accusations of tampering, also as this is a school devoted to the visual arts I'm sure some of my classmates have caught the whole scene on video," he said waving in the general direction of the students. They all collectively nodded and various mediums from tapes to flash drives were held up, and one-by-one with the help of other teachers were taken and Brad was escorted to the nurse for treatment.

By the end of the week, Brad was not only expelled from Hollywood Arts, but prosecuted as a minor for extortion, and assault, he was sentenced to serve time in juvie until he turned eighteen. We never heard from or saw him again. But I had a bigger problem, you see witnessing Robbie's prowess in these fights; this one and the one with Beck, made me of two minds about him: one, I wanted to test myself against him and see how well he could handle a real challenge, and two, I wanted to kiss him.

Well, Diary, that's the story of my last four weeks, it has been quite the exciting time for me. I now go to a school, I not only love but cherish every moment, after walking through those doors. I have the most amazing friends, and I'm totally falling in love with Robbie Shapiro, can it get any better than this?


End file.
